Kalen DeBoer lauds Alabama leaders for 'sticking together' during transfer window

When Nick Saban announced his retirement last Wednesday, the transfer portal opened for 30 days for Alabama’s players to enter, if they choose, because of a head coaching change.

Since then, 10 Crimson Tide players have entered their names into the portal, with half of them already landing at other schools. New head coach Kalen DeBoer and members of his coaching staff have met with players since he arrived last Friday and will continue to do so as the window remains open. He discussed dealing with that during his week on the job.

“I was just through this two years ago, and this is a much better situation than even that one was with a number of players leaving,” said DeBoer during an appearance on The Paul Finebaum Show. “You just stay the course, and you roll up your sleeves.”

While Alabama has seen double-digit players, including a pair of promising first-year starters in Caleb Downs and Kadyn Proctor, move on from the program over the last week, it also received commitments from players on last season’s team to remain in Tuscaloosa. 

Some of Alabama’s top leaders, like Jalen Milroe, Malachi Moore, Deontae Lawson and Tyler Booker, have been the most vocal and have worked to rally the troops around their new coach. DeBoer mentioned that during his interview with Finebaum on the SEC Network.

“There’s such a great group of leaders here in this program that want to uphold the standard of Alabama football, and they are sticking together,” DeBoer said. “We want those guys that want to be here. They’re working through all the noise that’s out there, and I just couldn’t be more proud of them sticking together, them being intentional on communicating with themselves and trying to keep it tight and keep it together.”

DeBoer continued, “A lot of these guys, they came here to leave a legacy – to build on a legacy but also leave a legacy, and they look at it as their job’s not done. There’s unfinished business with what they accomplished, whether it’s this year or the years past. 

“We’re really looking forward to locking arms as a team, as a staff and continue to just work with the guys that are here. I really feel like we’re in a great spot. We’ve just got to stay the course.”

Alabama has been the model of consistency for more than 15 years, so seeing several players leave the program after the retirement of a legendary head coach has been jarring to fans.

DeBoer offered a message to them, as well as his new team, in the midst of the transition.

“I think it’s just the world we live in right now,” DeBoer said. “When you have change and transition, there’s going to be change with everything that’s around a program. A lot of these programs are going through changes without transition of head coaches. 

“Naturally, you expect that this is going to happen to some extent. We’ll get the right people in the program, whether it’s staff, whether it’s players. And this is a place that has got the best facilities, the best resources in the entire country, and we are able to support the great players that come in here with all of that. 

“I think that our guys – and I would tell this to fans as well – to be excited about the staff we’re bringing in and what we’re gonna be capable of doing. I’m really not alarmed at all.”

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