Appointing Kalen DeBoer as Nick Saban’s Alabama replacement
In a statement made public by the university, DeBoer stated, “I have always had an immense admiration for Alabama football and its commitment to excellence.” “This program has an unrivaled tradition-rich history in collegiate athletics, and I look forward to carrying that heritage forward in the future. Being Coach Saban’s follower is an honor. He has set the bar for college football, and his accomplishments are unheard of. I would not have gone to any old school in Washington.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to oversee the University of Alabama football program. We consider ourselves really fortunate, and my family and I are eager to settle into the Tuscaloosa neighborhood.
3DeBoer guided Washington to the CFP National Title game this year, but the team lost the championship game 34–13 to top-ranked Michigan.
Unbeknownst to Saban, Michigan had defeated Alabama 27-20 in overtime during the playoffs.
DeBoer had a 25-3 record at the end of his two seasons with the Huskies, good for a 37-9 record in the FBS.
His job will be to duplicate Saban’s achievements at Tuscaloosa, where he built the program into an empire and won six national titles in his 17 years there.
Greg Byrne, the athletic director of Alabama, released a statement saying, “We are delighted to welcome Kalen and Nicole DeBoer and their daughters, Alexis and Avery, to the University of Alabama.” “Coach DeBoer has shown he is a victor and has led his teams to victories on each of his trips.
“We’re going to get a coach who is not only an incredible coach with Xs and Os but also someone who genuinely cares about his players. I would want my sons to play for this coach, just as I would have wanted Coach Saban,” I mentioned to our squad the other day. It was provided to us by Coach DeBoer.
The hiring represents the pinnacle of DeBoer’s ascent.
As head coach of Sioux Falls, his alma mater, he went 67-3 and won three NAIA titles.
Before taking over at Fresno State in 2020, he served as offensive coordinator at Southern Illinois, Eastern Michigan, Fresno State, and Indiana.
In 2022, he moved to Washington and made the Huskies a national championship contender.
Troy Dannen, the athletic director at Washington, allegedly offered to more than quadruple DeBoer’s $4.2 million pay in an effort to place him among the top ten FBS coaches, according to ESPN.
