When Nick Saban retired from his duties as the Alabama football head coach, the job instantly became the hottest on the market, and the biggest names in college football started to be talked about for his replacement. The Crimson Tide wanted to move quick, and there were rumors about Dan Lanning, Steve Sarkisian, Lane Kiffin and more as his replacement. Alabama did act quick, and they ended up landing Kalen DeBoer from Washington.
Had Alabama football defeated Michigan in the Rose Bowl, Saban's last ever game could've been against his replacement. Unfortunately for the Crimson Tide, they went down in OT to the Wolverines, and then Michigan cruised by Kalen DeBoer and Washington in the national title game. Just a couple days later, the Alabama coaching hunt began.
“I mean, that Tuesday was hard,” DeBoer said of the day after the national title loss, according to an article from ESPN. “We're flying back from the game, and you're just trying to get yourself back. I was texting kids on the plane just about how I felt about 'em, how strong I felt, especially the guys that were done with their careers. You're working through all of that. I was like, ‘OK, quit feeling sorry for yourself and let's get up and let's go. We've got to go win this thing. There's another step here at Washington.'”
DeBoer didn't have any plan to leave Washington. He had done a great job with the Huskies and was fresh off of a Pac-12 title, Sugar Bowl College Football Playoff win and a national title appearance. Then Saban announced his retirement from Alabama.
“It wasn't even on my radar, not sure it was on anybody's radar,” DeBoer said. “And then immediately when it happened, people from all over start calling and you're getting all these questions. I guess I knew with everything we'd accomplished that you might have some inquiries about jobs — but not that one.”
With a job this important, the process moved very quickly. Alabama was losing the guy that many consider to be the best football coach of all time. They wanted to get the best possible replacement before it was too late, and they wasted no time.
“It just happened so fast, all of it,” DeBoer said. “I get the call Wednesday night they want to talk. We're meeting on Thursday morning, and I was offered the job on Friday morning. I didn't have time to talk to a lot of people. I just knew I wanted the job.”
Following in the footsteps of a legend is not easy, and Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne knows that. He asked DeBoer how he will respond to that narrative, and DeBoer gave the perfect answer.
“I'm going to embrace it,” DeBoer said. “There's only one person that's ever going to get to do that.”
Coaching the Alabama football team is not going to be easy and DeBoer knows that, but he has the right attitude about the situation. After he got the job, he hopped on the phone to talk to Saban. If there's someone with any advice, he's the guy.
“I picked up the phone and reached out,” DeBoer said. “It was great, just, out of respect. I hope he knows how much it means to me to be coming in behind him.”
The process of going through interviews and getting the job was a lot for DeBoer and it all happened very fast. DeBoer got the Alabama job, but he then had to address his Washington players that mean so much to him.
“The hardest part is when you get put in that spot where the call does come, especially this one just because now you're a head coach,” DeBoer said. “You're not a coordinator going to a head-coaching job. You're not at a Group of 5 school where you're going from Fresno State to Washington. This was the toughest one of them all. We loved Washington, the people there, our players, everything we'd accomplished in two years. But I also just loved everything about Greg Byrne and our conversation together and everything that Alabama football stands for, the proud tradition of this program and how deep it runs.”
After saying goodbye to Washington, it was another quick turnaround of getting back to Tuscaloosa and addressing his new team.
“I hope you appreciate what you're a part of,” DeBoer told his new team. “That's why I wanted to be here. This place is not normal. It's special.”
There is a lot of change happening at Alabama, and DeBoer knows that. However, with a move like this, change was inevitable. The program is being run differently, and the Crimson Tide are embracing that.
“We've embraced the change and, as a group, want to finish what we started,” Alabama LB Deontae Lawson said. “We're not running from change. We're buying in and know we're in good hands. We have full trust in Coach DeBoer and the coaches he's bringing in.”
One big change on top of the new coach is the players that departed to the transfer portal after Saban left Alabama football. Again, it was inevitable. DeBoer knew this was going to be a challenge, and he's ready.
“We had about 30 guys, and those are rough numbers, that have come into the program, and actually more than that when you count the guys coming in this summer,” DeBoer said. “There was some attrition that needed to happen, and some of it was happening before I even got this job.”
“I couldn't say no to that challenge,” DeBoer said.
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