Nick Saban’s right-hand man is leaving Alabama.
Ellis Ponder, the UA associate athletics director for strategic operations, is leaving the Crimson Tide in August and will be joining super agent Jimmy Sexton at CAA, sources with knowledge of the hire told AL.com.
Ponder joined the Alabama football staff starting in 2015. By the end of his tenure, he became a deputy to Saban as Ponder rose to associate AD and football chief operating officer. Prior to that, Ponder served as football director of operations in 2017. During an earlier stint at Alabama, Ponder was a student assistant in the equipment room from 2006 through 2011. In between the two stints at Alabama, Ponder was an event director for Bruno Event Team in Birmingham.
Ponder continued his role as football COO for one year under Kalen DeBoer. Then Ponder switched in the offseason over to working for the overall athletics department.
He was most visible walking through the tunnel next to Saban before games, but Ponder’s role encompassed overseeing logistics, budget and the day-to-day operations of the football program.
The Fairhope native earned two degrees from Alabama with an undergraduate degree in business administration and a master’s degree in marketing.
JT Summerford, who had worked with Ponder in operations, is the current director of football operations.
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