$7 million worth Kalen DeBoer reveals his game-plan after replacing former Alabama HC Nick Saban - “As soon as I landed, I got in front of them"
Once Kalen DeBoer was officially announced as the head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide, replacing long-time coach Nick Saban, he went straight to work, trying to sort out his team for next season.
DeBoer recently had an interview with Dan Patrick, where he recalled the first things he did after getting the job:
“Meeting with the team, and really trying to get in front of them," DeBoer said. "Just the craziness of college athletics, and particularly the portal, just trying to make sure that they got a feel for who I was in the moment. As soon as I landed, got in front of them." (1:10)
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DeBoer knows that being in front of the team was needed
When any new coach enters a new organization, one of his first priorities needs to be understanding what the organization has, and putting himself in front of the team to create a clear visual that you are now the coach, and the previous coach is gone.
For Alabama, this acceptance of DeBoer as the new coach may have been a difficult thing to do, as everyone had gotten used to Nick Saban, who coached the team for 17 years, and led the team to 6 national championships.
This may have phased DeBoer, who took the Washington Huskies to the national championship this season. Filling in the shoes of one of the best coaches in College Football history is not an easy job, but this was one of the reasons why he decided to take the Alabama job.
“He's (Nick Saban) made it an amazing job, as have others that come before him, too. And so, yeah, the legacy he leaves, you can’t help but notice it. Carrying on that tradition, that’s my goal." (4:44)
Players leaving Alabama but DeBoer believes in the program
During this period, DeBoer has experienced a large number of Alabama starters, backups and prospects enter the transfer portal to leave Alabama. This was a setback for the new head coach, but he is confident that his team is strong.
They have been able to keep many of their starters, including quarterback Jalen Milroe, and as they normally do, have a strong recruitment class, something that DeBoer intends to continue in the years he is the coach.
Also read: "Got a lot of stuff at Alabama I still want to achieve": Jalen Milroe finally opens up about skipping transfer portal after Nick Saban's retirement