Kalen DeBoer will play his first game as Alabama’s HC on September 1 against WKU. Does he have the necessary weapons to maintain the legacy that Nick Saban left behind? As the new show portrays, the 49-year-old seems quite confident. 

When Nick Saban had Lane Kiffin as the OC/QB coach for three seasons, they had a successful stint leading to one National Championship for Alabama. But now, with the legendary head coach retired and Kiffin leading his own program at Ole Miss, the Crimson Tide is going to experience a new system under Kalen DeBoer. Will DeBoer and Lane Kiffin’s position replacement carry the winning Alabama culture?

Kalen DeBoer has nothing but admiration and praise for Alabama’s new offensive coordinator and quarterback coach Nick Sheridan. In the latest Hey Coach & The Kalen DeBoer Show posted by Alabama Crimson Tide on YouTube on August 29, he recounted how he met him for the first time in 2019 when he was a TE coach at Indiana. DeBoer said, “He’s so impressive. It’s the football knowledge but also the people person, it’s the leader bringing our staff together, the offensive side of the ball together… He just does a great job.”

Kalen DeBoer and Sheridan worked together at Indiana in 2019, after which they went their own ways for the next two years before coming back together in 2022 when DeBoer became the HC at Washington. Sheridan served as the Huskies’ TE coach and followed DeBoer when he came to Alabama to replace Nick Saban. His impact on DeBoer’s life and career is so great that he said of Sheridan, “Everyone says it’s your system. I consider it our system because he’s helped me grow it since I first met him in 2019.” Will the change in the coaching staff help them win football games this season?

How will Alabama fare 2024 season under Kalen DeBoer?

If anyone, it’s Kalen DeBoer who makes a worthy successor to Nick Saban, and he made it more valid when he showed how he handles accountability. He is a 3x NAIA champion coach at Sioux Falls and led Washington to the finals last season, ultimately losing to Michigan. Despite the pandemonium that Saban’s retirement caused, he managed to hold the program by ranking No. 2 in the 2024 recruiting class with predictions to reach the CFP. 

Aside from having a strong leader in Kalen DeBoer, Alabama also has some of the best players, including QB Jalen Milroe, OL Tyler Booker, LB Deontae Lawson, and DB Malachi Moore. As the star signal-caller said, “What I can say is that we’re a player-led group. We look within our team, and we challenge each other every day. Mediocrity is not allowed in this building, not just from players but from the ground up. That’s going to ultimately just push us in the right direction.” Alabama fans have more reason to anticipate games this season, but there will be a sense of both excitement and dread with fingers crossed for Kalen DeBoer’s new role. 

How do you think things will look for Alabama? Let us know in the comments below.