The Alabama Crimson Tide is set to mark off their new Saban-less legacy in 18 days. While the fans will witness their beloved team play with an ounce of tears for the raging coach’s absence, they are set to welcome the new coaching style of Kalen DeBoer with open arms too. It might be a bit of a shock to witness a new coach take over Nick Saban, who was on television for over 17 years, but his daughter’s acceptance is a sign that the community is ready for the drastic change. Kristen Saban was just a 21-year-old when Saban came to power and now she’s a grown-up 38-year-old woman with a husband to share her passion for Alabama too. The enthusiasm for Alabama rolls on as the Tide makes preparations to make waves this season.

On 13th August, Kristen took to Instagram to share an amazing fit check photo, where she absolutely stunned in an all-black leather jacket with a dazzling purse on the side. Her eyes, however, seemed to be shining red which might be due to the camera angle, but Kristen turned it around and spoke about her love for Alabama instead. She captioned the post with, “(red) heart eyes because @alabamafbl returns in 18 days 😍” The Alabama Crimson Tide will play against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers on the 1st of September, and by the looks of it all, Kristen is overjoyed to witness the men in maroon back in action and watch the game from the stands with her father sitting right alongside her rather than out on the field.

Additionally, the feelings of missing Saban won’t just vanish into thin air for the fans, especially not for this fan who hasn’t yet accepted one of the biggest changes in recent college football history. He said, “Sure not going to be the same without your dad. Still upset about it” Of course this massive change will be a tough pill to swallow for the Alabama fans, but change is usually inevitable. And though they aren’t welcoming it right now, DeBoer’s qualities as a trait might change their mind after a while.

A new era for Alabama, but the opponents remain the same. When it comes to the Kentucky Hilltoppers, Alabama has faced off against them over 4 times in history, and yet, the former still desperately searches for their first win. The two teams clashed in 2008 for the very first time when Saban’s second-season team easily won over the Hilltoppers by a score of 41-7. Later in 2012, Nick Saban embarrassed the Kentucky team once again, halting the scoreboard at 35-0. But for the opponents of Alabama, there has been no better time to try to aim for their head since their most feared Nick Saban isn’t in the picture anymore. Furthermore, let’s take a look at what tactics Kalen DeBoer will lead with going into this season and trying to strengthen his claims of the new and deserving HC for the Alabama Crimson Tide.

The fans spell out their nostalgia for Nick Saban

No matter who takes charge in Alabama, they will always etch the name of Nick Saban in their history, quite literally. Only recently, the Alabama organization honored Saban’s legacy and renamed the field inside the Bryant-Denny Stadium as ‘Nick Saban Field.’ The man who brought 6 championships to Tuscaloosa won’t be easily forgotten and these were the sentiments that echoed throughout the comment section of Kristen Saban’s post.

One of the Alabama fans posed a long worded out question for Saban’s daughter, but not before uttering the college motto. He wrote, “Roll Tide!! How do you think it’s going to feel actually having your dad(Coach Saban) beside you in the box and watching someone else coach Alabama Football. I had to call him Coach Saban still, but didn’t want it to precede dad.”

Next, a user commented how they miss Saban dearly but are still excited to witness the new season under Kalen DeBoer, just like Kristen. Their comment read, “Roll Tide!! Gonna miss your dad on the sidelines but love the Tide and cannot wait for the season to begin!!”

This person seemed to be more interested in what Kristen’s outfit looked like more so than the Saban-Kalen equation and said, “Well dang, girl! 🔥 I can’t wait to see the football fits this season 🙌”

Lastly, this user was a bit too enthusiastic about their love for Alabama when they used an expletive to express it out loud. This comment read, “Don’t give a p*** about nothing but The Tide”

Thus, the Alabama Crimson Tide now sports a newer shade of maroon and though it might not be as bright and flashy at first, it might just showcase a different side to the team, one that has never been seen before, under the leadership of Kalen DeBoer.