Kalen DeBoer is on the verge of bidding Washington football farewell, as the 2023 AP Coach of the Year negotiates a contract to replace Nick Saban at Alabama. But the Huskies are not going down without a fierce fight.
“Washington made a strong push to keep Kalen DeBoer, attempting to make him one of the country's Top 10 {paid} coaches, per sources,” ESPN's Pete Thamel reported Friday afternoon. “They offered to double his current base of $4.2 million (before bonuses).”
Notice that Thamel used the past tense in his post. The Crimson Tide and DeBoer are close to finalizing a deal, which means this final push to keep the head coach will likely fail.
Washington athletic director Troy Dannen knows how important it is for the program to maintain stability going into the Big Ten Conference beginning next season. DeBoer has Tuscaloosa and the SEC solidly in his sights, though. He has led the Huskies to a 25-3 record in his two-year tenure at Seattle, culminating with a national championship appearance this year. That type of impact cannot be forgotten.
Fans will surely sour on Kalen DeBoer, however, as is often the case when a coach uses his success with a team as a springboard to another job. But everyone knows the prestige that comes with being the Alabama football head coach. Bear Bryant established a proud tradition that Nick Saban significantly built upon during his reign of terror. And now, the former Sioux Falls wide receiver and HC looks to create his own history at the pinnacle of the sport.
It seems that Washington will need a miracle to change DeBoer's mind at this point. Though, few thought this team would be competing for a title only two years after going 4-8, so you never know.
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