Louisville offensive line coach Richard Owens is being hired as Alabama TEs coach, On3’s Pete Nakos reports. He has informed Louisville that is departing for Tuscaloosa.

Owens had been in the midst of his second stint with Louisville, and first as its offensive line coach. He was previously with the program in 2018 before departing for the opening as UAB‘s offensive line coach (2019-21). Owens then jumped to Georgia Southern as its offensive line coach & run game coordinator in 2022 before accepting the offensive line coach at Louisville in 2023.

The Louisville alum replaces Chris Kapilovic in Tuscaloosa. Kapilovic served as Alabama‘s O-Line coach for the past two seasons.

“It was about production,”DeBoer said regarding Kapilovic’s firing. “We know we gotta be better there. Mindset and just execution, the details and the fundamentals that the guys need. A lot of new faces that are gonna be in that room, so kind of a fresh start there.”

Owens was a tight end at Louisville from 1999-2003 before being undrafted in the 2004 NFL Draft. He, however, latched on with the Minnesota Vikings and played four NFL seasons. His coaching career began as a graduate assistant at Arkansas in 2012 before being hired as UAB‘s tight ends coach in 2013, really kicking off his coaching career.

With Owens on the staff over the past three seasons, Louisville has compiled a 28-12 record with back-to-back bowl game victories (Sun Bowl and Boca Raton). The Cardinals have earned strong victories over National Championship runner-up No. 2 Miami (2025), No. 10 Notre Dame (2023), No. 11 Clemson (2024), No. 20 Duke (2023), and rival Kentucky in both 2024 and 2025.

The Middleburg, FL native joins Alabama‘s staff heading into year three of the Kalen DeBoer era. Across his first two seasons in Tuscaloosa, DeBoer has led the Tide to a 20-8 record, an appearance in the 2025 SEC Championship Game, and an appearance in the 2025-26 College Football Playoff. In the Playoff, Alabama knocked off Oklahoma before falling to eventual National Champion Indiana in the Quarterfinals.