It's official. The Alabama football program has hired Kalen DeBoer as their next head coach to replace Nick Saban. After leading Washington to a National Championship appearance, DeBoer will now coach the Crimson Tide next season.
As a result, it's led to some mixed reviews in the college football world. Alabama football was linked to numerous coaches like Dan Lanning and Steve Sarkisian. But instead, Kalen DeBoer becomes the man for the job. But as expected, the decision has fans at odds.
Some Alabama football fans believe the expectations might be too great for Kalen DeBoer. It makes sense considering how well this program was run by Nick Saban.
Meanwhile, some fans are excited for the next chapter for Alabama football. Even if they think DeBoer's first year could be a bumpy ride.
There were definitely some coaching candidates that fans would have preferred. But it's not like DeBoer is a terrible coach either.
Only time will tell if Alabama football made the right decision or not. Typically, it takes roughly four seasons for a college football head coach to get his program set. However, with the transfer portal and NIL deals completely changing the landscape, it's not crazy to think the Crimson Tide expect DeBoer to build his team within two seasons.
We'll see how it plays out, but the Nick Saban era is officially over for the Alabama football program. Kalen DeBoer is the captain of this ship now and it'll be exciting to watch him handle this situation. If he succeeds, the Crimson Tide should remain relative for years to come.