Kalen DeBoer Embraces Fast Start as Alabama’s New Head Coach
Kalen DeBoer wasted no time when he stepped into the role of Alabama’s head coach, succeeding the legendary Nick Saban earlier this month. DeBoer hit the ground running, making it clear that his immediate focus was on connecting with the Crimson Tide players and setting the tone for his tenure.
“Meeting with the team, and really trying to get in front of them,” DeBoer shared during a recent conversation with Dan Patrick, “Just the craziness of college athletics, and particularly the [transfer] portal, just trying to make sure that they got a feel for who I was in the moment. As soon as I landed, got in front of them.”
In the days that followed, DeBoer embarked on a mission to meet individually with each of his players while also assembling his coaching staff. He highlighted the challenge of striking a balance between building a staff and conveying his vision to the players.
“You’re trying to build a staff at the same time and showing them the vision and feeling the personalities of those that will be coming into the program to coach them,” he continued. “So that balance right there kept me busy for those four or five days.”
DeBoer recognized the significance of re-recruiting Alabama’s roster as a vital initial step in his journey at Tuscaloosa. Despite facing the departure of key transfers like Caleb Downs and Julian Sayin, DeBoer expressed his pride in how the team responded to his coaching staff.
“I think we’ve done a great job of retaining the core, the nucleus of who’s in this program,” DeBoer said confidently. “There’s so many great players. They want this place to be great.”
DeBoer also acknowledged the special allure of his new coaching destination, which owes much of its prestige to Nick Saban’s incredible legacy. Leaving Washington after playing in the National Championship Game, DeBoer found the prospect of carrying on Saban’s tradition exciting.
“I think that piece of it was intriguing and exciting to me when going through this process of looking to be the head coach,” he said. “[Saban’s] made it an amazing job, as have others that come before him, too. And so, yeah, the legacy he leaves, you can’t help but notice it. Carrying on that tradition, that’s my goal.”