With 3-Year Championship Drought for Alabama, Kalen DeBoer Sets Expectations Straight for National Title in His First Season: “That’s Why I Came Here”

Every Alabama fan panicked when Nick Saban unexpectedly retired from college football in January. But not long after, Kalen DeBoer came into the picture as the new HC. While some have welcomed him to Alabama with a warm embrace, there are also critics forever comparing him to Saban. 

As Nick Saban’s replacement, a lot of pressure was put on Kalen DeBoer after he left the Washington Huskies for the Crimson Tide. But a National Championship appearance isn’t something new for DeBoer who led the Huskies to the final game against Michigan. And it looks like he hasn’t lost that winning spirit yet.

Kalen DeBoer teases fans on what to expect

According to what NextRoundLive uploaded on X, Kalen DeBoer has set himself a rather high expectation on himself in his debut year as Alabama HC. When asked about his expectations of winning a National Championship in Year 1, he summed it up in a sentence, “In all honesty, that’s what you come here for.” Alabama hasn’t won a championship title since 2020 and DeBoer is raising the expectation bar high as he continued, “That’s why I came here. To be a part of that heaven-knows expectations.”

Alabama is a prosperous program with 18 National Championships, six under Nick Saban. DeBoer added, “That’s what it’s been and that’s what it used to be. You try to do everything you can each and every day to make that happen, to live up to that.” The 2023 AP Coach of the Year already seems to have settled with Alabama’s winning culture.

Kalen DeBoer is ready for another National Championship run

Four months after entering Alabama, Kalen DeBoer is already making his presence known in the program. He’s even giving out National Championship-winning tips as to how he likes to prepare his team and toughness is key. As per DeBoer’s statement on The Ryen Russillo Podcast, “You can win games, but you win championships it takes a whole other level of just bringing it all together and what you’re all about.”

Kalen DeBoer added, “The toughness, both mental and physical toughness, is something that again this program’s been all about.” The 49-year-old HC has a neat head coaching record of 104 wins and 13 losses, making him the perfect replacement for Saban. The NAIA Champion coach has a 17-2 record in the NAIA playoffs and also holds a 2-1 CFP record. Surely, his presence is going to win the Crimson Tide their first championship title since 2020 and prove that he’s the perfect Saban replacement.