Alabama football has concluded its coaching search to replace Nick Saban . The Crimson Tide has hired Washington coach Kalen DeBoer .
DeBoer, 49, led the Huskies to the 2024 College Football Playoff national championship game in just his second season in Seattle. He also mentored Heisman Trophy runner-up Michael Penix Jr. , who threw for 430 yards and two touchdowns in the CFP semifinal win over Texas , which beat Saban's Crimson Tide in Week 2.
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Although DeBoer has no ties to the Southeast, he emerged as one of the most logical candidates to succeed Saban, given his success at Washington and prior stops. And, per reporting from The Tuscaloosa News , DeBoer and Florida State's Mike Norvell were the two names considered in the running for the vacancy on Thursday night.
DeBoer was born and raised in Milbank, South Dakota , where he also attended high school. He later was a receiver at the then-NAIA Sioux Falls in South Dakota, where he set program for career receptions (234), receiving yards (3,400) and touchdown catches (33).
Following his playing career, DeBoer remained in South Dakota for the vast majority of his early coaching career. He was Sioux Falls' receivers coach in 1997, then an assistant at Washington High School in Sioux Falls in 1998-99. He returned to the Cougars' program as an offensive coordinator from 2000-04 before taking over as head coach from 2005-2009.
His first time playing or coaching in college football outside of South Dakota came in 2010, when he was hired as Southern Illinois' offensive coordinator and receivers coach.
DeBoer holds an impressive 104-12 all-time record as a head coach with Sioux Falls, Fresno State and Washington.
DeBoer inherited a Washington team that in 2021 finished 4-8. He then led the Huskies to 11-2 and 14-1 records in 2022 and 2023, respectively, for a 25-3 combined record in two seasons. Notably, that includes a 3-0 record vs. Oregon 's Dan Lanning and 2-0 record vs. Texas' Steve Sarkisian, two coaches who were projected to be top candidates to replace Saban.
Prior to his two-year stay at Washington, DeBoer also led Fresno State in 2020 and 2021. He went 12-6 with the Bulldogs, a record that includes a 3-3 first-year record in 2020, which was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. His team in 2021 went 9-3 and had ranked wins over No. 13 UCLA and No. 21 San Diego State . The Bulldogs lost 31-24 to No. 11 Oregon (then under Mario Cristobal), which finished the season with a 10-4 record.
DeBoer's first head-coaching experience came at Sioux Falls, where he led the Cougars to a 67-3 record and three NAIA championships. He also led another championship game appearance in 2007, Saban's first year at Alabama.
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Here's a year-by-year look at DeBoer's record as a head coach (including final result of the season):
Souix Falls (67-3)
2005:11-2 (NAIA semifinal loss)
2006:14-0 (NAIA championshiop game win)
2007:13-1 (NAIA championship game loss)
2008:14-0 (NAIA championship game win)
2009:15-0 (NAIA championship game win)
Fresno State (12-6)
2020:3-3
2021:9-3 ( New Mexico Bowl win vs. UTEP)*
* DeBoer did not coach the New Mexico Bowl, having already been hired at Washington
Washington (25-3)
2022:11-2 (Alamo Bowl win vs. Texas)
2023:14-1 (CFP championship game loss to Michigan )
DeBoer's contract at Washington paid him $4.2 million in 2023, according to USA TODAY's college football head coaches salary database . DeBoer ranked 44th nationally in pay.
Before retiring, Saban ranked No. 1 in head coaching salary among public universities at $11.4 million in 2023.
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An offensive-minded coach, DeBoer ran one of the top offense's in college football at Washington. In 2022, the Huskies finished second in total offense (515.8 yards per game) and seventh in scoring offense (39.7 points per game).
Though the Huskies saw some dropoff in Year 2 under DeBoer, they still ranked 12th nationally in total offense , averaging 462.1 yards per game. The team also ranked 13th nationally in scoring offense (36 points per game).
DeBoer also helped mentor a slew of Washington weapons, including likely first-round receiver Rome Odunze , a finalist for the 2023 Biletnikoff Award who led all receivers with 1,640 yards and finished tied for sixth with 13 touchdown receptions. Another receiver, Ja'Lynn Polk, had 1,159 yards on the season and nine touchdowns.
Under DeBoer's tuteleage, Penix also led all quarterbacks in passing yards, throwing for 4,903 yards. DeBoer's offense also featured running back Dillon Johnson , who had 1,195 rushing yards and 16 rushing touchdowns.
DeBoer is 49 years old, and was born on Oct. 24, 1974.
None of DeBoer's recruiting classes at Washington finished in the top 25 per 247Sports' Composite rankings. Here's a rundown of where each of his classes ranked at Washington, including in the Pac-12 (and, for 2024, Big Ten):
2022:95th overall, 11th in Pac-12
2023:26th overall, fourth in Pac-12
2024:36th overall, 10th in Big Ten
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Kalen DeBoer to Alabama: Record, more to know of Nick Saban replacement
