Jalen Milroe on Alabama coaching change: 'I'm staying'

Fans weren’t the only ones in attendance for new Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer’s grand arrival. Quarterback Jalen Milroe was also there to welcome DeBoer, and he reportedly had an encouraging message for any fans who could hear him.

“Jalen Milroe shouts to the fans ‘Roll Tide!’ As he walks into Mal Moore ‘and I’m staying!’ As he enters the building,” BamaCentral reporter Joe Gaither wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Milroe finished the year 2,718 yards passing, 23 touchdowns and just six interceptions. He was also a significant threat on the ground, finish the season with 468 rushing yards and a team-high 12 touchdowns on the ground.

While Milroe will undoubtedly miss Nick Saban, he appears to be embracing the change. After Alabama’s heartbreaking loss to Michigan in the Rose Bowl, Milroe thanked Saban.

“We could’ve easily lingered and past mistakes could have went in the tank when things weren’t good, but the biggest thing we did was continue to improve,” he said. “Continue to have singular focus in our approach when it came to preparation and when it came to attacking the task at hand.

“There’s a lot of things to be proud of, but one thing I am proud of is how much coach Saban harped on his belief system in us.”

Alabama welcomes Kalen DeBoer

Milroe’s guest appearance was welcomed, but DeBoer was the star of the show. Fans caught word of his flight when Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne’s posted about “liftoff” at 5:06 p.m. CT Friday.

A little over 3.5 hours later, DeBoer’s plane touched down at Tuscaloosa National Airport. That’s when he was met with a welcome fit for someone stepping into the shoes of the Greatest of All Time. It was quite the scene, and it started with “Dixieland Delight” just minutes before wheels down.

Dixieland Delight before DeBoer. pic.twitter.com/IAGNmoavOU

— Charlie Potter (@Charlie_Potter) January 13, 2024

Evidently, Byrne wasn’t the only one happy with the hire. Byrne’s goal was 72 hours to make a hire. It took him less than 48, and UA made the announcement Friday evening.

“We are excited to welcome Kalen and Nicole DeBoer, and their daughters, Alexis and Avery, to The University of Alabama,” Byrne said in a statement. “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.”