Kalen DeBoer on his coaching journey: 'It's never been about getting to an Alabama'

Kalen DeBoer hasn’t had the typical path of an SEC head coach. Despite that, it’s a coaching journey that he’s very proud of and one that led him to becoming the head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide.

DeBoer spoke about that journey on Bussin’ With The Boys, explaining that his goal has always been to live in the moment. Because of that, he’s proud of everywhere he’s been as an assistant and as a head coach.

“I think my journey in general is just something I’m super proud of because I’ve always focused on where I’m at,” Kalen DeBoer said. “Really, it’s never been about getting to an Alabama, or it was never even about getting to a Washington or Fresno State. You could go on and on.”

Kalen DeBoer first got into coaching at Sioux Falls, where he had played. He eventually became the team’s head coach, going 67-3 with three NAIA championships. He then became an offensive coordinator at Southern Illinois before making the jump to FBS. By 2020, he was the Fresno State head coach and later the head coach at Washington.

“It was about coaching ball. Loving the moment we’re in. Raising a family and doing it with other people that had the same like-minded interest as I had in all those areas, both football and family. So, just enjoying that journey, enjoying that ride, but I think coming here I just can’t say enough about being embraced by the community.”

One of the biggest challenges that Kalen DeBoer is going to need to handle at Alabama is living up to the legacy left behind by Nick Saban. Still, that’s something that DeBoer wants to find a way to embrace.

“Coach Saban, he’s so respectful in how he’s trying to handle, he wants to see the program — you can just tell he wants it to be great. He wants it to continue to go in this direction and us to continue to build on all the things he’s put in place,” DeBoer said.

“So, he’s almost been over the top respectful trying to keep that distance. I want him to always know this is our program because everyone who ever set foot in these buildings, that’s alumni, that’s former staff members, everyone who made this place great, are always going to feel I want them to be a part of it.”

Kalen DeBoer on if he had nerves taking Alabama job

There is a lot of pressure that comes with the Alabama job. However, Kalen DeBoer says he had no nerves taking the job.

“No. Not at all because I had a great place where I was at… In all honesty? No because I was at a great place. So, you know, it was just a matter of really thinking it through,” DeBoer said.

“I think the piece that I truly tried to make sure of was that I wasn’t getting caught up in the emotions of the ups and downs of what we’d just been through with the season and trying to really take a step back in a short amount of time and have some perspective on everything. We had had such an amazing year and, you know, on a Monday night in the national championship, the wind is taken out of your sails. You’re trying to support your team and your staff.”