For the first time in 18 years, someone other than legendary coach Nick Saban will patrol the Alabama football sidelines come Saturday.
Saban announced his retirement in January, and former Washington coach Kalen DeBoer was swiftly named Alabama 's next coach, the 28th coach in the program's history. Entering his first season with the Crimson Tide , expectations are high in Tuscaloosa, with Alabama being ranked No. 5 in the top 25 of the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll and AP Top 25.
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Following a legend like Saban is never easy. Still, DeBoer has his own history of success on top of inheriting a robust infrastructure and roster, an advantage that most previous coaches — including Saban — did not have. No previous Alabama coach had won double-digit games in their first year, nor were they serious contenders for the national championship.
With the College Football Playoff expanding to 12 teams in 2024 and Alabama's preseason ranking, the Crimson Tide have high expectations despite the first-year coach.
Going back 101 years to Will Wade — Alabama football 's first national championship coach — here's a look at how each coach has performed in the first season in Tuscaloosa.
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Record:7-6 (4-4 in SEC)
Bowl game:34-20 win vs. Colorado in Independence Bowl
First game result:52-6 win vs. Western Carolina
Iron Bowl result: 17-10 loss
Tennessee result:41-17 win
The Saban era started in 2007 with a 52-6 victory over Western Carolina and a 3-0 record overall. However, back-to-back losses to Georgia and Florida State slowed some momentum. But the Crimson Tide bounced back with three straight wins to sit at 6-2 entering a Nov. 3 matchup against No. 3 LSU .
The Tigers defeated Alabama 41-34, setting off one of four straight losses by a single possession, including a 21-14 loss to Louisiana-Monroe on Nov. 17. The Crimson Tide closed out the regular season with a 17-10 loss to Iron Bowl rival Auburn. Saban finished his first season with a winning record following an Independence Bowl victory over Colorado.
Record:4-9 (2-6 in SEC)
Bowl game:N/A
First game result: 40-17 victory over South Florida
Iron Bowl result: 28-23 loss
Tennessee result:51-43 loss (5 OT)
Alabama opened the Shula era with a big victory over USF and a Week 3 victory over SEC rival Kentucky . Between the two wins and a close loss to No. 1 Oklahoma , hope was built up for a strong debut season. However, the Crimson Tide lost three in a row, including a pair of top-11 losses. Overall, Alabama was 0-5 against ranked opponents in Shula's first year.
Shula had a lot working against him. He was not hired until May due to a scandal involving short-time coach Mike Price, and the Crimson Tide faced NCAA sanctions levied the year before. Alabama took advantage of an NCAA rule to add a 13th regular season game and de facto bowl game at Hawaii on Nov. 29. The Crimson Tide lost 37-29 to limp to a 4-9 record.
Record:7-5 (4-4 in SEC)
Bowl game:14-13 win over Iowa State in Independence Bowl
First game result: 20-17 loss to No. 17 UCLA
Iron Bowl result: 31-7 win
Tennessee result:35-24 loss
Franchione's team began the season ranked as No. 25 in the Coaches Poll, but following a season-opening loss to No. 17 UCLA were not ranked again during the season. The team did close out the season with four straight wins after sitting at 3-5 to finish with a respectable 7-5 record, which included a 14-13 bowl victory vs. Iowa State and a dominant 31-7 road win over No. 17 Auburn.
However, the NCAA sanctions from previous coach Mike DuBose dampened the season, eventually leading to Franchione's departure to Texas A&M after the 2002 season.
Record:4-7 (2-6 in SEC)
Bowl game:N/A
First game result: 42-17 win vs. Houston
Iron Bowl result: 18-17 loss
Tennessee result:38-21 loss
DuBose's first year in Tuscaloosa resulted in the Crimson Tide's first losing season since 1984, and worst record since 1954. Alabama won its first two games by a combined score of 62-17 over Houston and Vanderbilt, but those were never a sign of things to come. The Crimson Tide closed the season with four straight losses, including a narrow 18-17 loss to rival Auburn.
Record:7-5 (5-2 in SEC)
Bowl game:34-7 loss to Louisville in Fiesta Bowl
First game result: 27-24 loss to Southern Mississippi
Iron Bowl result: 16-7 win
Tennessee result:9-6 win
The Stallings era got off to an inauspicious start with three straight losses to Southern Miss, Florida, and Georgia, all by four points or fewer. However, the team bounced back with seven wins in eight games, including over No. 21 Auburn and No. 4 Tennessee, to earn a berth in the Fiesta Bowl. However, Alabama couldn't keep up against Louisville in the bowl game. However, the season set the stage for the 1992 national championship squad.
Record:7-5 (4-2 in SEC)
Bowl game:28-24 loss to Michigan in Hall of Fame Bowl
First game result: 38-6 win vs. Southern Miss
Iron Bowl result: 10-0 loss
Tennessee result:41-22 win
Curry was hired over Bobby Bowden from Georgia Tech to coach the Crimson Tide, adding more pressure to his first season. While wins over No. 8 Tennessee and No. 5 LSU were the high points of the 1987 season, a 10-0 loss to Auburn in Birmingham set the tone for how Curry would fare against the chief rival in his tenure, going 0-3 as the Alabama coach.
Record:8-4 (4-2 in SEC)
Bowl game:28-7 win over SMU in Sun Bowl
First game result: 20-7 win over Georgia Tech
Iron Bowl result: 23-20 loss
Tennessee result:41-34 loss
Like DeBoer, Perkins took over coaching duties from an Alabama legend. Perkins also acquired a strong roster, starting 4-0. However, the team lost all four of its games by a touchdown or less, including vs. No. 3 Auburn (23-20) in the final regular season game of the season. It was the first time the Crimson Tide lost four games in back-to-back seasons since the 1950s.
That said, the Crimson Tide did finish on a strong note, beating one-loss SMU team 28-7 in the Sun Bowl.
Record:5-4-1 (3-4-1 in SEC)
Bowl game:N/A
First game result: 13-3 loss to LSU
Iron Bowl result: 14-8 loss
Tennessee result:14-7 loss
Bryant's career started with early losses, especially to rivals. His first career victory was a 29-6 over Furman in Week 3 on Oct. 11, 1958. That followed a 13-3 loss to LSU in Week 1 and a 0-0 tie with Vanderbilt in Week 2. Bryant went 7-2-2 in Year 2 and 8-1-2 in Year 3 before eventually led Alabama to an 11-0 national championship season in 1961.
The rest is history from there.
Record:0-10 (0-7 in SEC)
Bowl game:N/A
First game result: 20-0 loss to No. 13 Rice
Iron Bowl result: 26-0 loss
Tennessee result:20-0 loss
The Crimson Tide scored just 48 points during Whitworth's first season and was shut out four times in 10 games. Alabama's most points in a game was 14, and it only reached double digits twice all season. Alabama fell 21-6 to Vanderbilt in Week 2, the closest loss of the season for the Crimson Tide. Whitworth would go 2-7-1 in each of the next two seasons.
Record:8-3 (5-2 in SEC)
Bowl game:27-7 loss to Texas in the Sugar Bowl
First game result: 34-7 win over Southern Miss
Iron Bowl result: N/A
Tennessee result:10-0 win
Drew was hired away from Ole Miss following Frank Thomas's resignation. The first "modern-day" Iron Bowl was played in 1948, in Drew's second year, so he did have the all-important state championship measuring stick in Year 1. (This was the final year Auburn-Alabama did not play every single year).
He started his career with a victory over Southern Miss but fell to 1-2 after Week 3. His team won seven straight to end the season before the Sugar Bowl loss to Texas.
Record:9-1 (7-1 in Southern Conference)
Bowl game:N/A
First game result: 42-6 win over Samford
Iron Bowl result: N/A
Tennessee result:25-0 loss
Taking over for Wallace's perfect 10-0 team in 1930, Thomas led Alabama to outscore its opponents 370-57 during the regular season and finish with a 9-1 record. Despite just one loss ― a 25-0 loss to rival Tennessee ― Thomas and the Crimson Tide did not receive a bowl invite, as the Rose Bowl was the lone postseason bowl game. USC, champion of the Pacific Coast Conference, defeated undefeated Tulane of the Southern Conference to win the de facto national championship.
Record:7-2-1 (5-1-1 in Southern)
Bowl game:N/A
First game result: 12-0 win over Union (Tennessee)
Iron Bowl result: N/A
Tennessee result:N/A
While Saban and Bryant are more prominently known as great Alabama football coaches, Wade jump-started the Crimson Tide's successful run of coaches, with a few hiccups here and there. Wade's tenure ended shy of a conference championship following a 0-0 tie with Georgia Tech and a 16-6 loss to Florida in the regular season finale. His team, however, would go 27-1-1 over the next three seasons, including the program's first national championship in 1925.
Record:73-61-2 (45-41-2 SEC/SoCon)
First game record:8-4
Iron Bowl record:2-7
Tennessee record:4-7
Bowl game record:3-3
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This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Alabama coaches' first-season history ahead of Kalen DeBoer debut
