GET TO KNOW ALABAMA’S 28TH HEAD FOOTBALL COACH, KALEN DEBOER

University of Alabama Athletics Director Greg Byrne has chosen Nick Saban’s successor less than 48 hours after Saban’s surprise retirement. Former Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer will be the man leading the Crimson Tide for the coming years.

The 49-year-old DeBoer grew up in Milbank, South Dakota. DeBoer attended the University of Sioux Falls where he played wide receiver from 1993-1996. Not only is DeBoer a good coach, but he was also a record-setting football player for the Cougars in receptions (234), receiving yards (3,400), and touchdown receptions (33). DeBoer was also a star baseball player at the school.

Once his playing career ended, DeBoer’s coaching career began, serving as a student assistant coach for Sioux Falls in 1997 where he coached wide receivers.

After a couple of years coaching the high school ranks, DeBoer returned to Sioux Falls in 2000 to be the Cougar’s offensive coordinator. DeBoer served as the offensive coordinator until 2005 when he was promoted to head coach.

From 2005-2009, DeBoer went 67-3 as the Cougars coach, winning the conference championship four times, appearing in four NAIA National Championship games, and winning three.

After much success at the NAIA level, DeBoer made the jump to the Division-1 level. He was hired at Southern Illinois to be their offensive coordinator and wide receiver coach in 2010. He coached the Saluki offense for four seasons until he was named the Eastern Michigan offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

DeBoer remained at Eastern Michigan for three seasons until he was offered the same position at Fresno State. DeBoer coached the Bulldog offense for two seasons before once again packing his bags, this time headed for Indiana where he served as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Hoosiers.

After only one season in Indiana, Fresno State hired DeBoer to be their head coach, his first head coaching position at the Division-1 level. In two seasons at Fresno State, DeBoer coached the Bulldogs to a 12-6 record. Thanks to his year two success at Fresno State (9-3), DeBoer caught the eye of the Washington Huskies who hired him as their head coach in 2022.

DeBoer saw immediate success at Washington winning 11 games his first season and beating Texas in the Alamo bowl. The Huskies saw even more success in 2023 as DeBoer led the team to a undefeated regular season and PAC 12 Conference Championship. The Huskies earned the second overall seed in the College Football Playoff and matched up against Texas in the Sugar Bowl. DeBoer’s Huskies took down the Longhorns again, 37-31 earning them a spot in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. The Huskies fell short in the National Championship game losing to the undefeated Michigan Wolverines 34-13. Washington finished the year with a 14-1 record.

DeBoer’s resume doesn’t lie; he’s won plenty of football games anywhere he’s been. As a head coach, his overall record is 104-12 (89.7%), a 72-1 home game win-loss record, while winning 19-22 postseason game appearances.

DeBoer is an offensive guru that runs an offense Alabama fans aren’t used to seeing on the field. DeBoer’s Washington offense ran the ball with success, but feature a much more prolific, spread passing attack comparable to the late Mike Leach “air-raid offense".

Whether DeBoer brings this style of offense to Tuscaloosa or not is yet to be determined, but exciting offense is expected at Bryant-Denny Stadium in the fall.

DeBoer has the biggest shoes to fill at the college football level maybe of all time, but nonetheless, he will have to start by convincing Alabama’s current roster to buy in to his vision.

What will his vision be? We’ll find out soon with a press conference at the Mal Moore Athletic Facility where DeBoer will address the media as Alabama’s head coach for the first time.