Alabama HC Kalen DeBoer spills the beans on first conversation with Nick Saban during his hiring process
Fans were left worried about Alabama's future after the electrifying 17-year run under coach Nick Saban came to an end in January. However, they were thrilled to see former Washington coach Kalen DeBoer take charge of the Crimson Tide, owing to his impressive accomplishments as a coach at Fresno State and Washington.
DeBoer has a 104-12 overall coaching record, and in his last season with the Huskies, he finished with a 14-1 record and came close to a national championship, losing to Michigan in the 2023 College Football Playoff final.
In a recent conversation with Fox Sports' lead college football analyst Joel Klatt, Kalen DeBoer spoke about his interaction with Nick Saban during the hiring process.
"I did reach out to him even before I was offered the job," DeBoer said. "OK, officially, just, you know, that morning, which I think would have been the Friday morning, and you know, the cool connection there was Don James ... I could really get a sense, is really the first time coach and I had ever talked.
"Man, just hearing him talk about that relationship, what that meant to him, and things that he learned even during that time. I know what Don James meant to Washington, and where I was at, really cool connector, trying to, kind of get that conversation going.
"But then I heard him talk a lot about just the program. And, you know, kind of getting to know each other, just a little bit."
A look at Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer's big wins in the recruitment process
When DeBoer was announced to be Alabama's next head coach, one of the things many doubted was his recruitment abilities. However, DeBoer took no time to change the narrative and secured the No. 1 spot on the On3 2025 college football recruitment rankings, beating teams like Oregon, Texas and others.
Alabama's 2025 class includes many talent powerhouses like five-star quarterback Keelon Russell, five-star wide receiver Caleb Cunningham, and five-star offensive tackle Ty Haywood.
Kalen DeBoer is giving himself every opportunity to continue Nick Saban's legacy at Alabama and make it an even better program than it already is.
Fans would be interested to see how the new Crimson Tide era pans out in the 2024 college football season.