The 2023 season isn’t over yet, but Alabama football’s staff turnover has already begun. The Crimson Tide will lose special teams coordinator and outside linebackers coach Coleman Hutzler to the Mississippi State defensive coordinator job once the season ends.

Nick Saban recently hired former Michigan linebackers coach George Helow to the Tide staff before UA faces the Wolverines in the College Football Playoff semifinals. Hutzler remains on staff, first appearing in a video released by the program, with Saban confirming Monday that he’ll stick around until the end of the season.

Saban was asked whether Helow could be a long-term replacement for Huzler.

“Look, we’re not concerned about any of that stuff right now,” Saban said. “We got a game coming up. Coleman Hutzler is here, he’s finishing the season. I don’t have time right now to go through the due diligence of hiring anybody or even be concerned about that. We’re focused on what we got to do right now.”

Huzler accepted the Mississippi State job under new head coach Jeff Lebby. The Bulldogs previous head coach, Zach Arnett, was fired midseason.

As for Helow, much was made of his addition to the staff, given his ties to Alabama’s upcoming Rose Bowl opponent. According to Saban, the hire was made in part because of how hectic this time of year is with the early signing period for recruits starting Wednesday.

“George has been here before,” Saban said. “He was with us for a long time. Knows our system. I think every year that we’ve been in the playoffs we’ve tried to bring somebody in, primarily because we spent two weeks really on the road recruiting. So somebody to do a little extra work that has good experience. And when we get off the road, being able to give us a good scouting report of what we need to know. So that’s the purpose, just to add sort of a special assistant to me, whatever you want to call it to when I come off the road be able to get me up to speed on what’s happening.”

Alabama faces Michigan Jan. 1 in the Rose Bowl. The winner will face either Texas or Washington in the national championship game in Houston.