The sun has set over the dynasty of Nick Saban and it’s time for the next generation to take over. After a 17-year span of absolute domination, Saban decided to hang his cape once and for all and retire from coaching this year. In his place, the Huskies’ Kalen DeBoer was called to arms, and he’s going to take command over a program that echoes the feelings of legacy and ‘Tide’ pride through and through.

Kalen DeBoer, the newest HC for the Alabama Crimson Tide, was this close to becoming a national championship winner in 2023 if it weren’t for the gigantic loss at the hands of the Michigan Wolverines with a score of 34-13. What’s beyond impressive about DeBoer’s skills is that he was only in Washington for 2 seasons and yet, made it onto a natty game in his second year itself. Furthermore, if a national championship is the dream of DeBoer, what better to do it with a team that’s been one of the most feared sides in the past decade? As such, DeBoer is hitting the reset button on his natty dreams and greeting a power-packing Alabama team that will lead him to fulfill them.

Kalen DeBoer and the rebirth of his legacy

On the August 13th episode of the ‘GoJo and Golic’ show, Kalen DeBoer came on and talked about all things related to the Alabama Crimson Tide. In a segment, he was asked about whether he’s been subjected to any sort of pressure of winning every game from the local fans and DeBoer replied with a yes, not a minute too soon.

Mike Golic asked DeBoer this question, and the HC began his response with a slight chuckle, making it evident that this was a query he’d heard all too well before. DeBoer said, “ I knew that coming in that was an expectation. Um, you know, that’s big reason why I came here. You know, is to want to be a part of something like that. It’s fun to see the turnarounds. I’ve been a part of that too, and growing culture and what it looks like from a maybe not a good culture to one that’s a championship-caliber culture.” Thus, the transition from Washington to Alabama has surely been an exciting one for Kalen and fortunately for the Alabama fans, the pressure of the program’s legacy is one of the motivating factors for the coach to implement in his preparation. With that being said, DeBoer has already brought a wave of change to the roster in an effort to establish his own legacy, and as per the players’ opinions, he’s a coach unlike anything they’ve seen before.

Kalen DeBoer isn’t as strict as Nick Saban once was

Based on the multitude of the ‘Nick Saban Raging Compilations’ that exist on YouTube today, it’s safe to say that the former Alabama coach didn’t really lead with a policy of niceness towards his players. There’s no telling if the military regime played a major role in the 6 championships he brought to Tuscaloosa but he surely did it while stepping over the personal feelings and sentiments of his players. DeBoer isn’t like that. Constant appreciation for good plays and rewarding them when required is the sort of coaching style he’s implementing and the players are grateful for it.

Germie Bernard, who used to be with DeBoer back in Washington, talked about the sweet gesture that the coach made for the Alabama players by bringing in an ice cream truck after practice. He said, “Back at Washington, we had ice cream trucks, food trucks, all kinds of trucks. He [Coach DeBoer] is bringing some of that here, and it’s great. You see how much they pour into us, how much they care for us, and making sure our bodies are good off the field. They also reward us for how hard we work on the field.” Thus, even if DeBoer doesn’t manage to establish a legacy like Nick Saban’s, he can surely retire with a smiling heart that had a positive impact on the team, despite the empty trophy cabinets.