Kalen DeBoer explains aggressive play-calling approach

Washington is getting ready to take on Michigan with a national championship on the line. In just year two under head coach Kalen DeBoer, there were many people who didn’t think the Huskies would be able to get to this point but behind an aggressive approach, Washington was able to consistently find ways to win.

Ahead of the national title game, DeBoer broke down his aggressive play-calling approach, actually downplaying how aggressive he is during games.

“I think there’s a lot of people that are much more aggressive than I am,” Kalen DeBoer said. “But I think it’s just picking and choosing the right times. A lot of it you understand the percentages and the chances, and of course, there’s a million different ways to look at the analytics of everything and what you should do. For me, there’s a piece of that, but it’s also where we are at in the game and your gut instinct.”

Washington is 10th in fourth down conversions, converting 12 of 17 this season. That’s just 109th in attempts, though, but it includes several memorable attempts, like going for it late on their own side of the field in a tie game against Washington State.

Another key has been Washington’s downfield passing attack under Kalen DeBoer and with Michael Penix Jr. at quarterback. The Huskies are first in the country in terms of passes attempted 10 or more yards downfield, with 189. They’re also second in 20 or more yards downfield, with 77.

“Obviously, you’re trusting in the game plan and you’re trusting in the calls that your coaches are going to make. And, of course, most importantly, you’re trusting the execution of your guys. We talk about it all offseason, even in spring ball, just being ready to play four downs on defense, being ready to make an opportunity happen on fourth down offensively. So we practice it a lot in every scrimmage we have — spring, fall camp,” DeBoer said.

“And obviously the game situations, we’re working on that a lot of the times, to be confident in those moments.”

Notably, while Washington is running Kalen DeBoer’s offense and philosophies, he’s not the playcaller. That’s offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, who has worked with DeBoer going back to 2007 at multiple stops, including Sioux Falls, Eastern Michigan, and Fresno State.

Ryan Grubb speaks about chemistry with Kalen DeBoer on play calls

For offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, one of the most important things when it comes to Washington’s aggressive offense and its aggressive approach is the chemistry between him and Kalen DeBoer.

“I can’t really speak for Kalen, but I would say that for me I’ve always coached our guys, and I think Kalen would align with this somewhat, that I just don’t think you should coach guys to not lose. To me being offensive is just that. We should be the ones on the attack. I think when you are the one that knows the play, you know the alignment, you know when the ball is being snapped, all those advantages have to be incorporated with your mindset as well,” Grubb said.

“When you think about ways that you want to attack people, you don’t think about sitting back on your heels. Now, there’s a time and a place where you have to make the right decisions, hold on to the football, do all those things that it takes good teams to do. Shoot, the three of our best games we had the football for over 36 minutes, and that took good decision-making. The timing piece and incorporating those shots and staying aggressive at the right moments I think is key, but yeah, it’s always been my philosophy.”