The past few weeks have tested new head coach Kalen DeBoer’s leadership qualities. At the same time, this season, so far, looks like a test for Alabama fans as well. After losing to Vanderbilt and a disappointing performance against South Carolina Tide faced a lot of criticism. But there is good news for fans. Alabama has bounced back to reclaim the No. 1 spot in the 2025 recruiting class.

While we are speaking about the new class, let’s go back to the days when coach Heather Tarr and the Washington Huskies welcomed DeBoer’s daughter, Alexis DeBoer, to their team. She joined the promising 2024 freshman class with five other players. However, Alexis joining the Huskies was quite surprising for everyone around.

DeBoer, the former head coach of Washington football, unexpectedly left the program after the national championship. Let’s find out why she chose to stay in Washington even after her father switched to Alabama.

In her own words, Alexis describes her decision as feeling like “home.” The official Twitter account of Washington Softball shared her statements on why she decided to join the Huskies. Shedding light on Huskies’ balance of academics and athletics, she said, “I chose the University of Washington because it said like home and everybody was so inviting. It is a great balance of academics and athletics, and you receive so much support from anything you need.”

However, some fans thought that transfer Alexis might transfer to Alabama to be closer to her family. She made a surprising choice, similar to DeBoer’s unexpected departure from the Huskies. Her decision speaks volumes about her personality and decision-making abilities.

Let’s hear what coach Heather Tarr has to say about Alexis. Huskies Wire reported Tarr’s statements from the signing day and reflected on the player’s strengths in softball. “She brings experience and strength to our lineup,” Tarr added.

“She’s an athletic corner infielder with some big power in her bat. Being the daughter of a coach is something we value in our program. We look for Alexis to make an immediate impact on Husky Softball, not only on the field but off the field as well,” she said.

We are sure Alexis will achieve great heights with Huskies and add value to her career. Now let’s get straight into the hot topic of football since Kalen DeBoer joined Alabama. Can you guess what it is? Let’s compare DeBoer’s Tide journey with the Huskies.

Kalen DeBoer’s journey from Pac-12 Coach of the Year to leading Alabama

All of us are aware of DeBoer’s current status. Let’s go back in time and look at how his journey started. In January, Nick Saban announced his retirement, shocking CFB bans. While everyone was wondering who would fill in the big shoes, Kalen DeBoer was announced as the new HC. And guess what? Since then, questions came to him like hot pancakes. After winning the season opener over Western Kentucky, Kalen somewhere turned his doubters into fans.

However, until week four, things were fine as Tide won back-to-back four games. But as soon as Tide lost Vanderbilt, the ongoing debate was hyped, and he started getting criticism all over again. Although they bounced back and won their next game over South Carolina, many did not celebrate their win because their performance was not up to the mark.

In 2022, he led them to an impressive regular season record of 10-2 by becoming a part of the team. His season marked notable victories over ranked teams like Michigan State, Oregon State, and Oregon. Just a reminder: Tide won against their biggest competitor, the Georgia Bulldogs, in week 4 under DeBoer’s leadership. In 2022, he also earned the Pac-12 Coach of the Year title.

In his second season, the Huskies finished their regular season with a perfect 12-0 record. With his guidance, Washington secured a spot in the 2023 College Football Playoff as the #2 seed. Let us know your thoughts on his approach with Tide in the comment box below.