Scenes from the Airport: Kalen DeBoer lands in Tuscaloosa
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Kalen DeBoer has landed.
Alabama’s new head football coach arrived at the Tuscaloosa National Airport just after 8:30 p.m. CT on Friday night. DeBoer was accompanied by his family and greeted by athletic director Greg Byrne, other Crimson Tide staff members and a few hundred excited Alabama fans, who stood on the other side of the fence on a chilly night to welcome their new coach.
Shortly after deboarding the school plane, DeBoer made his way over to the rowdy fans and gave out high-fives to those at the fence before loading into an SUV and being escorted to the Mal M. Moore Athletic Facility, where he met with Alabama players at around 9 p.m.
DeBoer made the trip from Seattle to Tuscaloosa with his wife Nicole and daughters Alexis and Avery, but he was also joined by Courtney Morgan, his general manager at Washington. A former director of player personnel, Morgan spent the last two years with DeBoer and also worked under him at Fresno State in between a stint at his alma mater, Michigan.
DeBoer didn’t address the fans gathered at TCL, but he released a statement earlier Friday.
“I have always had an incredible respect for Alabama football and its commitment to excellence,” DeBoer said in a statement. “The tradition-rich history of this program is unmatched across the landscape of college athletics, and I look forward to continuing that moving forward.
“Following Coach Saban is an honor. He has been the standard for college football, and his success is unprecedented. I would not have left Washington for just any school. The chance to lead the football program at The University of Alabama is the opportunity of a lifetime. My family and I feel truly blessed and look forward to becoming a part of the Tuscaloosa community.”
DeBoer will be officially introduced in a press conference on Saturday, Jan. 13, at 1 p.m. CT.
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