Kalen DeBoer has a solid supporter standing up for him! What’s not to marvel about the coach who turned a 4-8 program into a CFP contender in two years? Kalen DeBoer joined Washington in November 2021 as the 30th head coach in the program’s history. In his first season in 2022, he led the Huskies to an 11-2 record, becoming the first HC in UW history to win a bowl game in his debut season. 2023 was equally successful, as his team appeared as a National Championship contender. 

With Alabama, however, it’s a different story. Not only is he stepping in the shoes of Nick Saban, who built a legacy with the Crimson Tide with six national championships, but he also lost one of his former trusted staff members, who was expected to follow him to Alabama. Still, he has unwavering support from all sides. 

OutKick posted an interesting response from Brock Huard on X on August 5, wherein the former Washington alum and current CFB analyst delivered his take on Alabama’s new HC. In his appearance on Hot Mic on OutKick with Jonathan Hutton and Chad Withrow, Huard opined DeBoer is the right person to handle the pressure of being Nick Saban’s replacement in Tuscaloosa with grace and poise. He said, “You’re not going to find a more poised coach on the sideline than Kalen DeBoer. The last few years watching him at Washington, I just marveled.”

While Huard lauds DeBoer for his calm and poised personality, his only concern for the new Alabama HC is losing his Washington OC Ryan Grubb to the Seattle Seahawks. He said, “This will be a little different because he loses Ryan Grubb; that was a big loss.” Instead, he brought in his TE coach, Nick Sheridan, from UW, to serve as the OC and JaMarcus Shephard as co-OC. Huard predicts these two staff members could feel more pressure than DeBoer going into the season. However, DeBoer’s confidence isn’t wavering despite his replacement as one of the greatest CFB HCs ever.

Kalen DeBoer’s confidence is admirable

FOX analyst Joel Klatt met with Kalen DeBoer on July 15 to discuss his transition to Alabama from Washington and how he feels about being Saban’s replacement. In an episode of Big Noon Conversations, DeBoer, who has a coaching record of 104-12, isn’t flinching from the pressure. He believes that no matter where he’s coaching, whether Alabama or Washington, focusing on the right things and people with the proper support will make anything possible. 

DeBoer acknowledged Saban’s greatness: “His face and the legacy he leaves, being the best of the best, will certainly live on forever, but he’s built this place up to be bigger than one person.” As for his thoughts on whether he can keep up with his predecessor’s legacy, he said, “Certainly, with my experiences and what I’ve been through, I feel confident. You’re never going to be perfect; no one is, but we take those experiences and continue to build here.” This season will be a test for DeBoer and his staff in Alabama.