Jalen Milroe reveals small Kalen DeBoer gesture that helped Alabama players connect with him

Everyone at Alabama is still adjusting to life after the coaching shift from Nick Saban to Kalen DeBoer. However, according to Jalen Milroe, their new leader has made that change much easier everyone with how he has approached it with them.

Milroe spoke about getting accustomed to the new tenure in Tuscaloosa during an appearance on ‘Get Up’ on Thursday. To him, DeBoer being as personable as he has, whether it be with his time or his own phone number, has allowed everyone there to settle in well with their different head coach.

“Very personable. I enjoy being around him beyond the coaching,” Milroe said in the interview with ESPN’s Mike Greenberg. “He has done a really good job of getting to know the players. With the short time that he has been there, everyone has built a relationship with Coach DeBoer.”

“One thing that spoke out to me with him initially getting there is everybody on the football team has his phone number. They can communicate with him whenever they want to,” Milroe continued. “He also has, by his office, a room where the players can just sit in there, just have downtime. Also time where you can communicate with him on a regular basis, whenever they want to talk to coach. That has been awesome.”

That speaks to who DeBoer is as a person. For DeBoer as a coach, though, Milroe doesn’t think it’s that far off from how it was under Saban.

We’re all already familiar with his resumé with his time at Washington being the latest and most notable entry. With that said, how he has held them to high expectations both as players and as a team has been GOAT-esque to them.

“As far as me as a quarterback, he’s offensive-minded,” continued Milroe. “He’s pushing me to be a champion, to be the best quarterback in the country, which is something that’s outstanding as far as development and getting to wherever I want to go, playing in this field, which is great.”

“Then, you know, as far as the team, it’s a very different coaching style as far as Coach Saban and Coach DeBoer. But one thing that’s consistent and a constant theme is they’re going to push you to be successful,” Milroe noted.

Essentially nobody is going to ever be a one-for-one comparison to Saban. Still, with what he has done at ‘Bama, Milroe and the Tide are ready to follow DeBoer into his debut.

“We’re all confident in Coach DeBoer,” said Milroe. “We’re just excited for what the future holds.”