Kalen DeBoer is stepping into the shoes of Nick Saban this year, and yet he won’t choose to mold his personality to be more like the veteran coach. The Alabama fans had their hearts shattered when Saban announced his retirement from coaching but knew that it was time the 72-year-old chose to hang his cape. As such, the renowned former coach for the Washington Huskies was called to arms, and if his previous records are to be considered, DeBoer’s capabilities are hardly known to disappoint.

Kalen DeBoer, the newest HC for the Alabama Crimson Tide, boasts quite the record as he steps up to take over for Nick Saban. In the entirety of his nine seasons as an HC, DeBoer’s record stands at a staggering 104-12, which is enough proof for the Bama fans that he could be a fantastic new coach for the team. Though most of the community expects him to stand up to the expectations of Nick Saban’s legacy in his first season itself, DeBoer is trying to assure everyone that he will be the best version of himself, and he’ll do so without donning the straw hat.

DeBoer refutes the Saban way of wearing hats and shows off his own instead

One of the clips from Kalen DeBoer’s latest interview post-training saw the HC being bombarded with questions from the media. A specific reporter took to the mic and asked DeBoer if he would have a signature piece of clothing as Nick Saban did during his coaching days, which was his famous straw hat.

DeBoer was all smiles before choosing to respond and pointed to his ‘Alabama’ cap that he was sporting at the moment. “This is what you get right here. And a broken shin!” Thus, the new coach seems to be hard at work training his team for this season but is ensuring that he doesn’t end up imitating the Saban style of coaching while also trying to try out his own choice of clothing. With all that said, here’s a brief look into the cultural significance that a simple straw hat like Saban’s holds in the world of college football.

Nick Saban and his iconic straw hat

During the majority of his coaching career, Saban has been spotted wearing the straw hat with the LSU Tigers and the Miami Dolphins and refused to take it off for the 16 years he spent in Tuscaloosa. The hat now symbolizes one of the greatest coaches who ever stepped foot onto the gridiron and continues to be an iconic piece of memorabilia.

The impact and significance of the veteran coach are so vital in college football, especially at LSU, which has one of Saban’s hats on display like a Renaissance painting on the second floor of the team’s administration building. As per Verge Ausberry, the executive deputy athletic director of LSU, “Everything you see is Nick,” says Verge Ausberry. That’s what he left behind. He paved a way and laid a foundation.” Thus, Saban was one of the pioneers of the wave of development that swept over LSU during his time there and, as such, holds pivotal importance to the Tigers to this very date and time.