For 17 years, the Alabama Crimson Tide football program was helmed by the genius mind of Nick Saban. But all good things come to an end. In recent days, the 72-year old Saban announced his retirement, opening up a huge void for Alabama to fill. But it didn't take long for the Crimson Tide to find their suitable replacement after bringing in Kalen DeBoer from Washington as the program's new head coach.

DeBoer is one of the hottest names on the coaching market, and for Alabama football to secure his services is nothing short of a major coup. And fans know this. Alabama football fans gave the 49-year old head coach a warm welcome just as his plane arrived in Tuscaloosa. Fans were screaming from the top of their lungs, and DeBoer took his time to acknowledge those who came out and made him feel immediately at home in his new stomping grounds.

Per The Athletic:

Given Kalen DeBoer's success with the Washington Huskies football program in his two seasons as head coach, it's not a surprise to see Alabama fans go crazy over the arrival of someone who has the track record to continue the program's long history of success.

As one would recall, DeBoer coached Washington to a 14-2 season in 2023, with their only loss being the 34-13 defeat they suffered in the College Football Playoff National Championship to the Michigan Wolverines. He is only eight years into his head coaching career, so for him to have massive success this early bodes well for his long-term prospects. Over those eight seasons, DeBoer has tallied a 104-12 record, making him quite the hire for a program that's replacing a legendary figure on the sidelines.

The Alabama football program is not messing around. They quickly finished their coaching search by paying a pretty penny that amounts to a commitment of around $100 million, including $12 million in buyout money by securing DeBoer from Washington.

In Nick Saban's final year as head coach, Alabama went 12-2. Their only losses on the season came against Texas and against Michigan in the Rose Bowl. With DeBoer and Alabama's seasons both ending at the hands of Michigan, the Crimson Tide should be one of the most highly-motivated teams come the 2024 CFB season.