What Kalen DeBoer said about taking Alabama job, following Nick Saban

Alabama made the hiring of new head football coach Kalen DeBoer official on Friday evening. The now-former Washington head coach released a statement on joining the storied Crimson Tide program and replacing Nick Saban, who announced his retirement this week.

“I have always had an incredible respect for Alabama football and its commitment to excellence,” said DeBoer in a statement released by UA Athletics. “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. 

“I want to thank Director of Athletics Greg Byrne, President Stuart R. Bell, Chancellor Finis St. John and The University of Alabama System Board of Trustees for their belief in me to lead this program.”

DeBoer finished his second season as the head coach of the Huskies and led them to a berth in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. Washington completed an unbeaten regular season, defeated Oregon (for a second time) in the final Pac-12 Championship Game and topped Texas in the Sugar Bowl semifinal before losing its first game of the season to No. 1 Michigan in the CFP National Championship Game this week.

In two seasons in Seattle, Wash., DeBoer led the Huskies to a 25-3 (16-2 Pac-12) record and a pair of bowl wins (Alamo in 2022 and Sugar in 2023). The year before DeBoer was brought in as the head coach, Washington finished the 2021 season with a 4-8 overall record.

UW was DeBoer’s third stint as a collegiate head coach. He came to Washington in 2022 after two years at Fresno State. From 2020-21, he led the Bulldogs to a 12-6 (9-5 Mountain West) record, including a 9-5 mark in his final season. That fall, Fresno State had the No. 9 passing offense among FBS schools (326.7 ypg) and was 14th in total offense (463.8 ypg).

DeBoer spent the 2010-19 seasons as an offensive coordinator at four different schools. He coached wide receivers and led the offense at Southern Illinois from 2010-13 before serving as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Eastern Michigan (2014-16), Fresno State (2017-18) and Indiana (2019). The Hoosiers were 15th in passing offense in 2019.

Prior to his streak of assistant jobs, DeBoer spent 10 years at his alma mater, Sioux Falls. First as the offensive coordinator from 2000-04 and then as the head coach from 2005-09. He tallied an impressive mark of 67-3, including a 49-1 conference record, in his five years as the coach and led Sioux Falls to four straight NAIA championship game appearances. The Cougars won three NAIA championships, in 2006, 2008 and 2009, under DeBoer’s watch.

In nine seasons as a head coach, Deboer has won 104 games compared to 12 losses.

In addition to DeBoer, Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne also released a statement.

“We are excited to welcome Kalen and Nicole DeBoer, and their daughters, Alexis and Avery, to The University of Alabama,” Byrne said. “Coach DeBoer has proven he is a winner and has done an incredible job as a head coach at each of his stops. 

“One of the things I told our team the other day is we are going to get someone who is not only a great coach with the Xs and Os, but also someone who cares about his players and someone I’d want my sons to play for, just like I would have wanted them to play for Coach Saban. 

“We got that in Coach DeBoer. He is ready to get to work, and we look forward to him leading the Alabama Crimson Tide football program for years to come.”

DeBoer will be officially introduced in a press conference Saturday, Jan. 13, at 1 p.m.

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