Well, Bama’s 2024 season didn’t just shake the SEC—it cracked open a whole vault of trolls and backlash aimed straight at Kalen DeBoer. Taking over a loaded roster sounds great on paper, but guiding a machine someone else built? That’s a heck of a task. Plus, with all the new NIL, entering the recruitment business added more to the ongoing misery. But despite all this, Texas insider is hyping Kalen over Steve Sarkisian. How ironic is that?

Well, the people who have known DeBoer since his Washington days understand the kind of coaching excellence he holds. Especially Steve Sarkisian, who took his team to the playoffs but could never beat DeBoer’s team.

Now pointing this out, Texas insider James Hayden talks about the top 10 CFB coaches rankings by On3’s J.D. Pickell, where he kept Kalen DeBoer at the 4th position, one spot lower than Steve Sarkisian. Despite that, James gives the props to coach Kalen above Steve, saying, “So can you know Kalen DeBoer? So, I think Kalen DeBoer is probably a better coach than Sark. For all you know, Sark’s great things that he’s done, you know, he is the guy who officially has brought Texas back, but Sark hasn’t been able to beat DeBoer, and it seems like he kind of got out-schemed against DeBoer offensively.” It’s a fact. Even though people may doubt his skills after those 4 losses last season, he is still ahead of Steve in terms of winning their rivalry game.

No doubt Kalen DeBoer proved his superiority against Steve Sarkisian during his time at Washington. As Sarkisian could never secure a win against DeBoer, and this detail did not go unnoticed when Alabama selected its next head coach. Remember, obviously, because Kalen DeBoer holds a 2-0 win record against him.

Remember the 2024 Sugar Bowl? Where Washington and Texas saw each other again, a rematch of the previous season’s Alamo Bowl, which Washington won 27-20. In 2023, both teams qualified for the CFP, culminating in a 37-31 victory where Penix Jr. threw for 430 yards and two touchdowns against the Longhorns. It’s no surprise that James mentioned Texas being out-schemed.

However, it’s not like Sarkisian didn’t build something strong in Texas. He holds a 38-17 record with the Longhorns and an impressive 25-5 record over the past two years. In 2023, he ended a 14-year Big 12 title drought and guided Texas to the Playoff. The Longhorns then made the move to the SEC in 2024 and immediately reached the conference championship, securing a spot in the 12-team playoff. Sarkisian’s success extends beyond mere victories—he has also managed to keep Texas relevant on the big stage.

On the flip side, Kalen DeBoer walked into Bama with an impressive career record of 104-12 and a near-flawless stint at Washington, where he achieved a record of 25-3. He set program records, won the Pac-12, and even made it to a title game. However, the 2024 season did not go as planned for DeBoer and Alabama. Inconsistencies emerged, leading to criticism and disappointment. For him, the honeymoon ended before it even started, but he is out there standing still.

A ray of hope for Kalen DeBoer and team

After losing 15 players to Portal, Kalen DeBoer needed a perfect redemption to make players stick with them. And that redemption came in the form of Ryan Grubb. Alabama made a bold move by bringing Grubb in to replace Nick Sheridan as the lead play-caller. Grubb, a proven offensive mastermind in college, set defenses on fire in 2023, leading Washington to a National Championship final. However, his NFL journey was not as smooth.

Well, after a challenging season with the Seahawks, where they only scored an average of 22.1 points per game and missed the playoffs, head coach Mike Macdonald decided to let Grubb go. Now, Grubb is back where he belongs, in the college game, ready to light up defenses once again.

Now, this is Alabama we’re talking about, where expectations are not just high, they’re sky-high! And it’s not just limited to football but extends to everything they do. Alabama journalist Tony Tsoukalas tweeted that Kalen DeBoer should ‘take notes’ from Bama basketball head coach Nate Oats. Why? Because of Oats’ bold move to sideline his star player during Alabama’s tense win over LSU. And where Tony may have a valid point.

Kalen DeBoer stuck with Jalen Milroe throughout the entire season, even when things took a turn for the worse, like during their devastating 24-3 loss in Norman. Milroe threw three interceptions, one a pick-six, crushing Alabama’s playoff hopes. Could DeBoer have benched Milroe? Absolutely. But he chose to stick with him, for better or worse. Now, let’s see with a new force how Kalen’s team makes their much-awaited comeback.