Nick Saban’s footprints are big, but Kalen DeBoer is filling them just fine. The new Alabama Crimson Tide head coach gets a big thumbs-up from a player in the Alabama hood, Malachi Moore. The defensive back is no ordinary player but a gem who has clinched the national title under Saban’s guidance. Coming from the GOAT’s school, DeBoer now gets a clean chit from Malachi. Like the defensive back, the new HC’s mentorship promises a better future for their star QB, Jalen Milroe. And guess what stands out in DeBoer’s leadership blueprint? He’s given players the all-clear to ping Saban if they’re in a fix.

Moore arrived in Tuscaloosa in June 2020 under the cloud of COVID-19 protocols and was given a job at Alabama’s ‘STAR’ position. And BOOM! He never had to look back. The DB picked off a team-high three interceptions in 11 games and earned himself second-team all-conference honors. It was in 2020, under Saban’s guidance, that he snagged the national championship title. Now that his guru has bid farewell to the program, Malachi is locked and loaded to follow the new coach’s playbook. And what worked in favor of DeBoer to win DB’s trust? It’s the new coach’s ‘go-getter’ attitude. As Malachi highlighted, “Coach Kalen DeBoer has brought something to this organization as far as a mentality standpoint as in going 1-0 in everything you do.”

DeBoer has cracked the secret code to keep the players on their toes. And that’s by instilling a feeling of yearning for the taste of victory, “This play to meetings to treatment always trying to win that real, win that day, win the meeting, win the position battle…that’s just stuck with me since he came in…it has helped me to be present in the moment and not think it too far ahead.” Just as Malachi is high-fiving the coach’s every move, DeBoer is believed to be a more perfect fit for Milroe than Saban. 

What DeBoer brings to Crimson Tide

Under the former HC, Milroe had hit rock bottom during the January 1 matchup between Crimson Tide and the Michigan Wolverines. When the QB missed a pivotal pass, Saban was tangled up in a wave of guilt. On May 15, On3 recruits analyst J.D. PicKell came up with the big assurance of how things are going to turn up for the better for Milroe. All thanks to the new Alabama HC DeBoer. 

While the combination might sound odd to many, the analyst stands in favor of it, “Jalen Milroe- Kalen DeBoer to me is a lot like French fries in a milkshake combo… sounds like it doesn’t sound good- two things that taste different… you think that they are not supposed to go together but when you try you find out they are phenomenal,” But how is PicKell so sure about this QB-HC combo? It’s DeBoer’s blueprint that is bound to provide Milroe with a better playing environment, “Kalen DeBoer is going to do a lot for Jalen Milroe-pre-snaps with shifts, motions and play designs to give him answers.”

What’s more promising about DeBoer is the fact that he is always open to suggestions. So much so, that he would always encourage his tribe to keep in touch with Saban. The new Alabama HC assured, “I want to make sure that that connection is always there and that they always feel like they can reach out to the coach that recruited them… also that coach Saban knows he’s always got an open door.” Let’s see if DeBoer can maintain the Crimson Tide’s flow or cause a splash.