Kalen DeBoer describes feelings of phone call telling him he had the Alabama job
Kalen DeBoer was hired to lead one of the top college football programs in the country back in January, coming over from the Washington Huskies to coach the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Prior to being officially hired, DeBoer received a phone call from the folks at Alabama, informing him that he was being offered the job.
He recently sat down with Bussin’ With The Boys to discuss what that moment was like.
“I felt like it was kind of going in that direction, so it wasn’t necessarily a surprise,” Kalen DeBoer said. “I think it was just more about being honored to have that responsibility to be the head coach here. It’s just something, again, I won’t take lightly.”
DeBoer has won everywhere he has been, from Sioux Falls, to Fresno State, to Washington.
Coaching at Alabama is a different type of challenge, but it’s one DeBoer is confident he’s ready for.
He was well aware that going from Washington to Alabama would be an adjustment, but he still feels like it’s the right move for himself and his family.
“I had thought it through the night before, just if this opportunity came up, working, just talking through with my family, what that would all mean. And the moving and the life changes and stuff that we’d be going through,” DeBoer said. “But from a program standpoint, it’s just such an honor and a privilege.”
Kalen DeBoer labels Jalen Milroe as ‘special’
As Kalen DeBoer takes over the Alabama program, it helps to have an experienced quarterback returning.
Jalen Milroe enters his second year as Alabama‘s starting quarterback, but the circumstances are completely different compared to this time last year.
Milroe has been tasked with learning a new offense under first-year Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer. After mastering Nick Saban’s offense less than a year ago and nearly taking Michigan the distance in the Rose Bowl, DeBoer had high praise for Milroe’s adaptability to his offense this spring.
“He’s special,” DeBoer told ‘Bussin with the Boys’ Will Compton in a sit-down interview. “He just has a heart of gold. He wants it so badly, both personally and also for this program. He takes on the responsibilities of being the quarterback at Alabama with such grace. He’s there for others, he’s willing to give as much as he can. Sometimes I’m, you know, just always checking in with him to make sure he’s good because he gets pulled in a lot of different directions.
“But in the end, he loves getting out there. He loves the game of football, I mean, we’ve talked about that a number of times. He just loves everything that surrounds it, from the teamwork and the leadership that is asked of him to just working on the daily skills. He loves the film. He just loves so much about the game itself. And it’s fun being around guys that are willing to put in all the things make the sacrifices needed to go be great.”