That didn't take long. Less than 48 hours after news broke about the retirement of legendary University of Alabama head football coach Nick Saban, the Crimson Tide has a new coach. Alabama has hired Washington Huskies head coach Kalen DeBoer to take the reins of the team in Tuscaloosa.
Just four days ago, DeBoer was coaching the Huskies in the College Football Playoff national championship game, and now he'll move 2,500 miles away to coach a new team. It's a massive step for a coach that many fans in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) had probably never heard of before this season.
"Kalen DeBoer, known within the industry as both a program builder and excavator, told his staff at Washington that he’s accepting an offer from Alabama for Nick Saban’s former coaching job, team sources confirmed Friday," report Christopher Kamrani, Bruce Feldman, Kennington Smith III and Chris Vannini at The Athletic. "DeBoer is expected to meet with his Washington team Friday afternoon to explain why he’s making the move, the sources said."
The report that Alabama was offering DeBoer a contract first came down the pike seconds after I published my report about Dabo Swinney and the contract provision that made it difficult for him to accept any Alabama offer (just my luck). The news became official shortly after that.
"DeBoer, 49, would inherit one of the most coveted jobs in college football — and one of the most difficult — in replacing Saban, whose teams won nine SEC titles and six national championships in his 17 seasons at the school," report ESPN's Mark Schlabach and Chris Low.
The expectations on DeBoer will be high, both because DeBoer is coming off a national championship coaching gig and because Alabama has a championship legacy of its own, particularly during the Saban era. One aspect of the job that sounds unsavory is that Saban will maintain an office in Bryant-Denny Stadium, which means he might barge in like the Ropers too often and insert himself into the job he just retired from.
"In DeBoer, [Alabama athletic director Greg] Byrne went with what some might perceive to be an unconventional hire, a man who has never coached in the SEC," reports The Athletic. "At some point this fall, DeBoer hired college football coaching superagent Jimmy Sexton who represents a majority of coaches in the SEC, including Saban."
DeBoer may be an exciting hire for the Crimson Tide, and it's easy to see why he sees himself as ready for a new challenge. But he's going to have a tough road ahead of him in the SEC. His opponents will include the Georgia Bulldogs, who are always a formidable opponent, along with stiff competition like Missouri, Tennessee, and Oklahoma.
It also remains to be seen what kind of turnover he'll experience. Will Saban's retirement drive some Alabama players to the transfer portal? And what about upcoming recruits? Hiring the right assistant coaches can also make or break DeBoer's tenure in Tuscaloosa. This new gig isn't going to be easy.
SEC fans going to see tons of changes in 2024. No more CBS coverage (and yay, no more Gary Danielson), the elimination of East and West divisions, and the 12-team playoff were already a lot to process. Now we have Alabama with a new head coach. It's going to be an interesting year.
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