Major Applewhite introduced as South Alabama head football coach

MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) — The Major Applewhite era is officially underway at South Alabama as the school introduced its newest head coach Friday.

The school announced Applewhite’s promotion from offensive coordinator to head coach on Thursday, just two days after former South head coach Kane Wommack agreed to take the Alabama defensive coordinator position.

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“I am truly humbled for this opportunity,” Applewhite said to open his introductory press conference on Friday. “My wife sent me a text that said, ‘You’re not starting from scratch. You’re starting from experience.’ This is a beautiful opportunity. It’s a true blessing for my family.”

Applewhite’s promotion as the Jags head coach was part of a domino effect that began with former Alabama head coach Nick Saban announcing his retirement last week.

“I was like the rest of America, or the country, in shock a little bit.” Applewhite told News 5’s Gerhard Mathangani. “Also at the same time, was just the reverence and respect and also grateful for the opportunities that he’s given me in my coaching career. But no, I wasn’t anticipating this ripple effect and so fast either.”

Applewhite discussed how quickly the offseason is moving due to the transfer portal.

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“It’s been a fast transition,” Applewhite said. “The uncertainty with the portal world like you just mentioned, Bama moved fast, we’ve moved fast, Washington moved fast. That’s the world we’re in now. And I get it. It’s human nature. A lot of guys are uncertain about what their careers are as football players, even coaches. So that’s that’s the reality.”

This week, several South Alabama players took to social media in support of Applewhite being promoted to head coach.

“It’s it’s hard to put it into words. I see the effort. I’ve been a player, and I’ve been through the transition,” said Applewhite. “There’s a lot of trust there, and the trust from the players means all the difference in the world. What it really means is you’ve got to live up to what you say you’re going to do. So I can’t wait to deliver on that.”

One of the first orders of business for Applewhite is wrapping up the Jags 2024 signing class. National Signing Day is set for Wednesday, February 7th.

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