Nick Saban might be irreplaceable, but the University of Alabama has found their next head football coach.
Kalen DeBoer, Alabama agree to coaching contract as Nick Saban’s successor
Alabama has found their replacement for Nick Saban
Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images
Mark Schofield is a former college quarterback and attorney covering the NFL and F1.
According to multiple reports, DeBoer has reached an agreement with Alabama to take over, replacing a living legend in Saban:
DeBoer is coming off an incredible season at Washington, where he led the Huskies to an unbeaten regular season and a spot in the National Championship game. While Washington ultimately came up short, losing to Jim Harbaugh and the Michigan Wolverines, DeBoer put together an impressive two-year run in Washington.
DeBoer inherited a Huskies team that was coming off a 4-8 season, and two-straight losing campaigns. In his first year in Washington, he guided the Huskies to an 11-2 record, and a victory in the Alamo Bowl. Then came this past season, where the Huskies won the Pac-12 Championship — beating Oregon both in the regular season and the Pac-12 Championship Game — to advance to the College Football Playoff.
Washington beat Texas before losing to Michigan in the title game.
He got his start in coaching in the high school ranks before joining the staff at the University of Sioux Falls, where he played college football as a wide receiver. He began as an offensive coordinator at Sioux Falls under Bob Young, who was his head coach during his playing days. When Young retired, DeBoer took over as the head coach, and in five years in charge he led the Cougars to three NAIA championships.
He compiled a 67-3 record during his time at Sioux Falls, and eventually worked his way through the FBS ranks to take over at Fresno State for his first stop as a head coach. His first season with the Bulldogs was the shortened COVID-19 season in 2020, when Fresno State finished 3-3, but the next season the Bulldogs went 9-3 in the regular season, with wins over ranked opponents UCLA and San Diego State. In November of 2021, it was announced that he would be the next coach at Washington.
He has won everywhere he has been, and now gets to do it on perhaps the biggest stage in all of college football.
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