Nick Saban applauds Alabama’s decision to hire Kalen DeBoer away from Washington, calling the national title runner-up ‘one of the brightest football minds’ while offering support to his replacement and his family

No one is happier about Alabama’s decision to hire Kaleb DeBoer as its 28th head coach than the man he replaces, Nick Saban, who applauded the decision Friday.

“I want nothing more than for Alabama football to continue to be successful, and Coach DeBoer is an excellent choice to lead this program,” Saban said in a statement.

Alabama wasted little time in finding Saban’s successor by hiring DeBoer away from national runner-up Washington. The powerhouse program tapped DeBoer to replace Saban on Friday, just two days after the 72-year-old coach announced his retirement. On Friday night, DeBoer was welcomed by crowds of cheering fans at the Tuscaloosa airport, where the new Tide coach wasted little time in exchanging pleasantries with his new supporters.

The 49-year-old DeBoer is a former NAIA coach who led Washington to the national championship game in his second season. Now he takes over a program where Saban made that kind of success an annual expectation.

“He has a proven track record of success and is one of the brightest minds in football,” Saban continued. “Coach DeBoer has excellent insight into what it takes to be a successful head coach, whether it’s coaching, recruiting, developing players or building a culture.

“He has done a fantastic job at every stage of his coaching career, and I am excited to see what he can accomplish in Tuscaloosa.”

Saban then added that he and his wife Terry “will be here to support Coach DeBoer and his family with whatever they need.”

In his own statement, DeBoer said it was an “honor” to replace Saban.

“He has been the standard for college football and his success is unprecedented,” DeBoer said. “I wouldn’t have just left Washington for any school. The opportunity to lead the football program at the University of Alabama is the opportunity of a lifetime.”

Alabama has not released details of DeBoer’s contract pending formal board approval.

Saban announced his retirement Wednesday after leading the Crimson Tide to six national championships in 17 seasons. He leaves huge shoes to fill and exceeds expectations at the program that Paul “Bear” Bryant helped build and Saban took to even greater heights.

Saban also won a national title at LSU and his seven championships are a major college record. The Crimson Tide have been in contention for the national title virtually every season since winning their first in 17 years in 2009, Saban’s third season.

The job of maintaining that standard falls to a coach with just two years of experience leading a Power Five program.

“Coach DeBoer has proven he is a winner and has done a fantastic job as a head coach at each of his stops,” Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne said. “One of the things I said to our team recently is we’re going to get someone who is not only a great coach with the X’s and Os, but someone who cares about his players and someone I want my sons to play against to play. because, just like I wanted them to play for Coach Saban.

“We have that in coach DeBoer.”

DeBoer is already facing staffing issues in Tuscaloosa, where Crimson Tide wide receiver Isaiah Bond became the team’s first player to enter the transfer portal following Saban’s retirement.

Bond’s decision followed that of five-star recruit Ryan Williams, another receiver, who withdrew from the team after Saban’s announcement.

Still, ESPN analyst and former Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III believes DeBoer will be successful in luring top recruits to Tuscaloosa.

“Kalen Deboer is a PHENOMENAL asset for Alabama,” Griffin wrote on X. “Every meeting I’ve ever left with him I always said the same thing. That’s a coach I would like to play for. He gets it. His players will give everything for him and he won’t try to be Nick Saban or anyone but himself.”

The fast-rising DeBoer led the Huskies to a 14-1 record this season. Washington won the Pac-12 championship, defeated Texas in the College Football Playoff semifinals and lost 34-13 to No. 1 Michigan in the national title game. DeBoer was named Associated Press coach of the year.

DeBoer led the Huskies to a 25-3 record in two seasons after taking over a program that was 4-8 in 2021. He is the first Washington coach to win 11 games in consecutive seasons and has won Pac-12 Coach of the Year honors twice. .

DeBoer has also won national titles, albeit a few levels lower in college football.

DeBoer led his alma mater, Sioux Falls, to a 67-3 record from 2005-2009 and won three NAIA championships at the small Baptist-affiliated school in South Dakota’s largest city. He later found immediate success at Fresno State, going 12-6 from 2020-2021, with nine wins in his sophomore season.

That’s a career mark of 104-12 at all levels, or 89.7 percent.

DeBoer became the first Washington coach to win 11 or more games in consecutive seasons after going 11-2 in 2022, earning Pac-12 Coach of the Year honors twice. The Huskies also went 10-1 against ranked teams, and DeBoer is 18-3 in playoff games as a head coach.

Alabama’s short-term expectations won’t change with a team led by quarterback Jalen Milroe and a roster bolstered by a string of highly rated recruiting classes.

DeBoer coached Heisman Trophy runner-up Michael Penix Jr. last season and brings an offensive track record to replace Saban, a former NFL defensive coordinator. He was Fresno State’s offensive coordinator in the 2017 and 2018 seasons and held the same job at Indiana for a year before replacing Bulldogs coach Jeff Tedford.

An All-America receiver at Sioux Falls, DeBoer helped the Cougars win their first national championship in 1996. He then stayed on as receivers coach and returned as offensive coordinator in 2000 after a stint as a high school coach in Sioux Falls.

In Washington, DeBoer signed an extension after an 11-2 win in 2022, increasing his salary to $4.2 million with incremental increases to $4.8 million in the final year of the contract in 2028. It also included an increased buyout of $12 million if DeBoer were to leave for Washington. a new job.

DeBoer last year hired high-powered agent Jimmy Sexton, who also represents Saban. Saban received an eight-year deal worth at least $93.6 million in 2022, including about $11.1 million this year.

“Kalen DeBoer has been an outstanding leader of our football program and what he accomplished in two seasons at Montlake will forever be a part of our storied history,” Huskies athletic director Troy Dannen said. “We are sad to see him go and we have done everything we can to keep Kalen at UW. But ultimately, he made a decision that was in the best interests of his family and that furthered his professional goals.”

DeBoer didn’t shy away from the expectations he faces while making his own statement along the way.

“I have always had incredible respect for Alabama football and its commitment to excellence,” DeBoer said in a statement released by the university on Friday evening. “The tradition-rich history of this program is unparalleled in the college athletics landscape, and I look forward to continuing that into the future.”