After what many thought may never would happen, Alabama is undergoing a changing of the guard.
Alabama announced Friday that it has hired Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer to succeed Nick Saban as skipper of the program.
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“I have always had an incredible respect for Alabama football and its commitment to excellence,” DeBoer stated in a release. “The tradition-rich history of this program is unmatched across the landscape of college athletics, and I look forward to continuing that moving forward. Following Coach Saban is an honor. He has been the standard for college football, and his success is unprecedented. I would not have left Washington for just any school. The chance to lead the football program at The University of Alabama is the opportunity of a lifetime. My family and I feel truly blessed and look forward to becoming a part of the Tuscaloosa community. I want to thank Director of Athletics Greg Byrne, President Stuart R. Bell, Chancellor Finis St. John and The University of Alabama System Board of Trustees for their belief in me to lead this program.”
DeBoer spent the past two seasons at Washington, where he led the Huskies to their second College Football Playoff appearance and first national title game.
He was named national coach of the year by a number of outlets, including the American Football Coaches Association and The Associated Press.
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DeBoer will bring a wealth of coaching experience with him to Tuscaloosa. Beginning in the high school and NAIA ranks, DeBoer won three NAIA national championships at Sioux Falls before jumping up the coaching ladder.
DeBoer previously coached as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Indiana in 2019, Fresno State in 2017-18 and Eastern Michigan from 2014-16.
“We are excited to welcome Kalen and Nicole DeBoer, and their daughters, Alexis and Avery, to The University of Alabama,” Byrne stated in a release. “Coach DeBoer has proven he is a winner and has done an incredible job as a head coach at each of his stops. One of the things I told our team the other day is we are going to get someone who is not only a great coach with the Xs and Os, but also someone who cares about his players and someone I’d want my sons to play for, just like I would have wanted them to play for Coach Saban. We got that in Coach DeBoer. He is ready to get to work, and we look forward to him leading the Alabama Crimson Tide football program for years to come. We are grateful to our leadership in President Stuart Bell, Chancellor Finis St. John and The University of Alabama System Board of Trustees for their support during this process.”
