College football pundits implored head coaches around the country to avoid being the man who follows Nick Saban. Kalen DeBoer ignored them all. The audacity to believe he can handle what’s to come is the ultimate sign he’s fit to do it.
Before Nick Saban retired, Washington supporters would tell anyone within earshot that DeBoer would take the program to the next level. Just over 48 hours later, he’s become a villain in the eyes of the fanbase. With broken hearts, they’ll tell you he showed his true nature when he agreed to inherit Saban’s throne, leaving his former employer vulnerable. But really, DeBoer’s success in Seattle and the decision to leave boil down to the same thing: Aggressiveness.
“People ask ‘why would you go to Alabama?’ Well, I think there’s a lot of really obvious answers, right?,” DeBoer said during his introductory press conference Saturday. “And I’ve touched on that when it comes to tradition and the history of the program, it’s second to none. And when I look at the places that I want to be, it’s about winning championships.”
Immediately upon reports of DeBoer being a candidate, eyes darted toward his recruiting history. He has yet to recruit at a level that reflects one hired to lead a blue blood. While general manager Courtney Morgan’s departure from Washington to Alabama alongside DeBoer makes life easier, there is a significant need for growth to stay on par with the SEC, let alone the rest of the top teams in the nation. But DeBoer is a winner. He adjusts and adapts. Now the world is his oyster with Saban in his corner and a powerhouse to lead.
It took 25 months for Washington to ascend from a 4-8 program desperate for a resurgence to a College Football Playoff runner-up. He took over a program that needed to hunt Ducks to reach its goals. He went 3-0 against Oregon. He needed a quarterback that could operate a high-powered offense. He turned to the injury-riddled but familiar Michael Penix Jr., making him the center of one of the sport’s most inspirational stories.
After fast-tracking to college football’s most pressure-filled position, DeBoer becomes the hunted.
“That’s an expectation that I cannot wait and accept as a privilege to try to uphold, winning SEC championships, winning national championships, that’s an expectation and a love and an interest that I’ve always had and a passion that I’ll have and looking forward to carry on with our players, our staff and all of you here,” DeBoer said Saturday.
During a Sugar Bowl media session last month, DeBoer explained to reporters that his play-calling — decision-making — is aggressive, not reckless.
An example? Flashback to the Apple Cup against Washington State on Nov. 25.
Washington’s offense trots onto the field facing a fourth-and-1 from its own 31-yard line in a 21-21 game. A failed conversion likely results in a game-winning field goal for the Cougars, snapping the Huskies’ unbeaten record and ousting it from the College Football Playoff picture. Washington’s defense had only allowed a trio of touchdowns and its offense was struggling. Punting it away was the safe, advised route.
Instead, DeBoer stuck to his aggressive ways. Penix faked the inside dive to running back Dillon Johnson, turned his back to Wazzu defenders and tossed left to a motioning Rome Odunze. The wide receiver raced past midfield and set up a game-winning field goal.
Rather than leave his fate in the hands of another, DeBoer rolled the dice.
Washington may have ascended to 1990s-level glory had DeBoer inked another extension and donations from a capable community flowed and powered its NIL collectives. But the latter is out of his control, which may have been the deciding factor in accepting the gig at Alabama.
Fighting back tears, DeBoer bid farewell to Washington, claiming Alabama was one of — if not — the only schools that could pull him away. The
the moment appeared genuine. But what he didn’t say, though it’s clear, is after building the program through self-belief and aggressiveness, he leaned on his methods to grasp possession of his own.
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DeBoer’s next and possibly final stop is Tuscaloosa, the land of opportunity. Alabama’s success or failure will have everything to do with how he handles pressure. His tenure can go one of two ways: A worthy heir to the legendary Saban, or being run out of town. History suggests he doesn’t want it any other way.
