Kalen DeBoer recalls getting phone call about Alabama opening

Kalen DeBoer knew when he got the call from Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne that this was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up on. He had enjoyed his time at Washington, taking the Huskies to the national title game in just his second year, but few places offer what the Crimson Tide can.

Alabama is one of the most prestigious programs in all of college football with 16 national championships. Not only that, but DeBoer would be taking over for arguably the best coach of all-time in Nick Saban, who brought six of those titles to Tuscaloosa.

He had to make a quick decision, but that combined with his conversation with Byrne made it a no-brainer for DeBoer.

“The timing of everything is what makes it extra hard through all of this because my time at Washington is gonna be, for me and my family, probably the best time of our life,” DeBoer said on the Bussin’ With The Boys podcast. “Those two years there and the way we were embraced from the community aspect to the team to just the how much fun it was working with our staff. It was a special time down there. But just the opportunity to come here to Alabama. Knowing this program and what the history was all about and getting a chance to meet Greg Byrne.

“Just hearing the vision, understanding the interest and how excited he’d be to have me leading the football program, that meant a lot. Got a chance over 24 hours to do a little bit of investigating and talking to a couple of people that I’m close with. It just felt like something that was too good of an opportunity and it’s been an awesome experience these first 3-4 months.”

DeBoer wasn’t given much time to mull things over as Alabama needed to find a new coach quickly to keep players from bolting for the transfer portal. His hiring was announced only two days after Saban made his retirement official.

The coach understood the timetable, however, and was on board with getting down to Tuscaloosa as soon as he could. He now believes that doing so put him in a better position to find success not only in his first year, but the many ahead.

“I pretty much had to make the decision if I was offered the job and I understand why,” he said. “Just the environment that we’re in with college football, the timing of it. We’re talking the middle of January, retaining a roster. The urgency that it needed to be to keep the program moving forward, I completely understood why Greg Byrne told the team, ‘Give me 72 hours.’

“If I was gonna be the football coach, I knew getting down here and being around these guys was being nonstops in trying to keep these things and build these relationships these first two weeks I was here was gonna be critical for our immediate and long term future.”

Now with his set of spring practices behind him, DeBoer is getting closer and closer to stepping on the sidelines for his first game as Alabama coach. The Crimson Tide are set to open the season on Aug. 31 against Western Kentucky.