Kalen DeBoer of Washington is being hired by Alabama to succeed Nick Saban.
DeBoer, from Washington, Alabama, will be hired by the University of Alabama to manage the Crimson Tide football program, succeeding the late Nick Saban, who announced his retirement on Wednesday.
ESPN’s Chris Low and Mark Schlabach provided the original report.Several sources claim that DeBoer is meeting with athletes this afternoon on the Washington campus to discuss his decision.
In Alabama’s history, DeBoer will be the 28th head coach.
Despite not having coached in the SEC, 49-year-old DeBoer recently finished a 14-1 season with the Huskies, winning the Pac-12 Championship and upsetting Texas in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal before Michigan defeated them. In his four years as a wide receiver at the University of Sioux Falls from 2005 to 2009, DeBoer earned three NAIA crowns.
As of right now, Greg Byrne, the athletic director at UA, has hired the biggest player in his career. Byrne had assured the fan base that he wouldn’t speak to the media until he identified Saban’s replacement. Multiple sites have claimed that DeBoer is anticipated to be officially selected within the “72-hour” timescale set for the players during a team gathering; however, Byrne has not yet confirmed the news.
The rumored buyout amount for DeBoer is $12 million. Along with Saban, Steve Sarkisian of Texas, James Franklin of Penn State, and others are represented by his agent, Jimmy Sexton. Last fall, DeBoer made $4.2 million, ranking ninth in the Pac-12. At $11.4 million, Saban was the highest-paid coach in the sport.
Milbank, South Dakota, is home to about 3,500 people, according to the latest U.S. Census statistics, where DeBoer was born and reared. At Sioux Falls, he played baseball and football and set records in both sports. In 1997, he eventually took a position coaching wide receivers at Sioux Falls alongside his longtime NAIA icon and former coach, Bob Young. DeBoer returned to his position as offensive coordinator at Washington (S.D.) High after two seasons.
During his tenure as head coach at Sioux Falls, DeBoer went 67-3 and produced 25 first-team All-Americans. After that, DeBoer took jobs as head coach of FBS programs at Eastern Michigan, Southern Illinois, Fresno State, and Indiana before joining Fresno State in 2020. Following a 15-game winning streak of 12-6 in his first full season with the Bulldogs, DeBoer was selected by Washington and given a five-year deal.
Troy Dannen became the new athletic director of the Huskies this fall, and in exchange, the team agreed to an agreement with DeBoer that would increase his buyout in 2022. On January 5, Dannen discussed the possibility of keeping DeBoer in the Northwest on Adam Breneman’s podcast, “Next Up.”.
We’ve discussed it and come to the conclusion that, had he been motivated to complete the task at hand, he probably could have completed it a month ago. We’re doing something different, and I’m excited to finish it so people won’t keep asking me about it. Many people suggest that we give him more time. Indeed, we ought to. The market exists as it does.
DeBoer and Alabama had reached a contract agreement, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel. It’s anticipated that UA will make an announcement shortly confirming that DeBoer’s yearly pay will be at least quadrupled.
Amid persistent reports of an extension and a meeting with Dannen, DeBoer postponed his appearance on a radio broadcast in Seattle on Friday morning. It just so happens that a year ago, Saban interviewed Ryan Grubb, DeBoer’s offensive coordinator, for the UA position that Tommy Rees of Notre Dame ultimately filled.
Several sources claim that Grubb will likely remain in Washington and succeed DeBoer. Rees took part in the interview process for the position at UA. Now, in addition to adding his parts, DeBoer might need to determine Rees’ position on the staff in relation to other important coaches.
Both DeBoer’s reputation as a recruiter and his contacts inside the community will be called into question. In 2024, Washington’s class of recruits came in at number 36, followed by 26 in 2022 and 30 in 2021. Notably, DeBoer recruited quarterback Michael Penix Jr. from Indiana, who went on to become one of the top throwers in the country.
For one of the best coaching efforts of the season, DeBoer received widespread recognition. The Football Writers Association of America awarded him the Eddie Robinson Award, and The Sporting News and The Associated Press named him Coach of the Year.
