Celebration is in the air at the 2024 ESPY Awards! The Dolby Theatre in Hollywood hosted its 32nd annual ceremony on July 11, with Serena Williams as the host. From honoring Prince Harry to outstanding players like WNBA’s Caitlin Clark and NFL’s Patrick Mahomes, it was an action-packed event that saw Nick Saban basking in the spotlight. 

The former Alabama Crimson Tide head coach was among the deserving winners, winning the Icon Award. He even delivered a short yet profound speech when he received the award from his former Heisman Trophy players, Mark Ingram and Bryce Young. And now, everybody, including his successor Kalen DeBoer, is raising their glasses for the 2024 ESPY Icon Award winner. 

Following the achievement, Alabama Football uploaded a picture of their legendary coach and lauded his achievement by writing, “ICON AWARD. Congratulations, Coach Nick Saban.” Kalen DeBoer then joined the celebration by sharing the post and adding his compliments, writing, “Congratulations Coach Saban! Well deserved!”

It was when the Crimson Tide players ran helter-skelter when they first heard about Nick Saban’s sudden retirement in January following the championship loss to the Wolverines. 3x NAIA national championship coach Kalen De Boer left what he started at Washington to aid Alabama in their challenging time by proving himself as a worthy successor to the winningest college football coach. But he still knows Saban is synonymous with Alabama, and he respects it while grinding to earn his respect among Roll Tide fans. 

Kalen DeBoer is rolling with the Tide!

Kalen DeBoer came to Alabama after spending two seasons with the Huskies, leading them to their first CFP appearance in 2023. However, the pressure of wearing the shoes of a phenomenal coach like Saban is no joke, as his presence ignited mixed speculation. But as far as the offseason is going, DeBoer seems to have things under control, as he’s already proving himself by luring elite prospects to the team. 

When it comes to recruitment, DeBoer gave a nod of approval and satisfaction after landing 4-star OL Micah DeBose on the final night of Alabama’s June recruiting window. Since the early Saban days, the program has never finished outside the top 3 in a recruiting cycle. As per 247Sports, Alabama currently ranks second in the 2025 recruiting class with 20 commitments. With the recruiting box checked, all left is to wait for the season to commence. Undoubtedly, the upcoming season will be the decider. We’ll then let the actions do the talking.