Greg Byrne signals Kalen DeBoer signing with cryptic post
If Alabama fans still had any doubts their beloved program secured Kalen DeBoer as its next head coach, they can now rest easy. On Friday, Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne posted a photo on social media, all but announcing the hire.
Byrne posted a photo of Archibald’s, a popular BBQ restaurant in Tuscaloosa, with the caption, “The plane has left Seattle.” This caption is obviously a reference to DeBoer, who has spent the last two seasons as Washington’s head coach.
After head coach Nick Saban announced his retirement on Wednesday, Byrne stated his intent to find Alabama’s next leader as quickly as possible.
“As with any coaching search, our goal is to be thorough, but expedient,” Byrne said. “Our ideal candidate will be strong in recruiting and relationship building, player development, excel in Xs and Os and have the overall ability to lead this historic program.
“There will be plenty of rumors out there during this process. Next time I talk publicly will be to announce our new coach. If you don’t hear it from me, don’t believe it. Roll Tide!”
More on Kalen DeBoer
While it’s not an official announcement, it’s close. DeBoer certainly fits Byrne’s lofty job requirements. In just two seasons at Washington, DeBoer turned the program around. He led the Huskies from a 4-8 record program in 2021 to an 11-2 mark, Alamo Bowl win over Texas and a No. 6 final CFP ranking in 2022.
After returning star quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and his slew of elite pass catchers, Washington came into this past season with immense hype. And in a loaded Pac-12, it was DeBoer’s group who stood head and shoulders above the rest, finishing a perfect 12-0 in the regular season before completing a season sweep of a Top-10 ranked Oregon team in the Pac-12 Championship game.
That win completed a 13-0 mark and booked Washington’s bid to the College Football Playoff, their first since the 2016 season, where, coincidentally, that group led by QB Jake Browning and then-coach Chris Petersen, lost to Alabama in the national semifinal.
However, in this year’s semifinal, Washington broke through and toppled Texas for the second straight postseason to earn a spot in the national title game, something no Pac-12 program had accomplished since Oregon participated and lost in the very first College Football Playoff title game.
Prior to his time with Washington, DeBoer made quite the impression at Fresno State in just two years as well. He went 3-3 in Year 1 during the pandemic-altered 2020 season before leading the Bulldogs to a 10-3 mark in 2021, capping it off with a New Mexico Bowl win over UTEP.
Despite just two years of experience as an FBS head coach, Washington saw DeBoer as a rising star and elevated him to the Power Five level. Clearly, they were onto something, as DeBoer led the Huskies to the CFP within two years of his hiring and is now the pick to replace Nick Saban at Alabama.