It’s been almost 10 years since I returned to Alabama to cover the Crimson Tide for AL.com after 14 months in Miami. That introduction began by calling myself an idiot for making such a move the day before the 2013 season began.

Big dummy.

A decade and a few unwritten books later, we’ve come a long way. Trust me.

And now, it’s time for a new challenge on this same corner of the internet — one I wanted to explain before getting started. Instead of the daily coverage focused primarily on the University of Alabama athletics, I’ll be widening the net to include the full state and full SEC footprint.

There will be a high degree of freedom to experiment with this role that we’re still working to name. But it’s that wide berth that makes this opportunity so exciting. Since we’re friends and we’re always honest, this is the kind of job I’ve always dreamed of landing.

And after nearly 10 years with AL.com and three before that with The Decatur Daily covering UA sports, there’s a comfort level with how things work around here. Twitter may tell me I’m the same dummy, but you’re going to have to trust me here.

Does this mean I’m not covering Alabama anymore? No, just not exclusively. And Tide coverage remains in good, if not better hands, with Mike Rodak and Nick Alvarez on the beat.

The desktop scratch pad has a laundry list of ideas to try in the coming months in my continuing effort to examine sports from different perspectives. As a beat writer, the goal was always to tell different kinds of stories like the one about the cemetery next to Bryant-Denny Stadium or drill down on the urban legend about apartments overlooking Alabama’s practice field.

There will be more opportunities to zoom out and see things from a different perspective when it’s not juggled between daily news conferences and non-stop breaking news. That joy won’t completely evaporate and Nick Saban will still get a chance to rip me from the podium from time to time.

I might never convince him I’m not a dummy but that’s fine.

There will be analysis and perspective that didn’t always fit into the role of a beat writer so I’m prepared for your emails.

Bottom line: We’re going to try some new things under my byline moving forward. We’re going to loosen up, have a little fun and talk sports and everything that surrounds it.

Ten years ago, I moved back to Alabama with eyes already looking to what’s next.

A decade later, Birmingham is home — the place we plan to raise our growing family — and write for the most passionate sports readership this side of the moon.

So maybe I wasn’t such a dummy after all.

Michael Casagrande is still a reporter for the Alabama Media Group but with an evolving job title that we still haven’t finalized. Follow him on Twitter @ByCasagrande or on Facebook.