Washington’s Kalen DeBoer expected to be named Alabama’s next head coach

Washington’s Kalen DeBoer, who won 25 games over the past two years, will reportedly replace Nick Saban at Alabama.

Alabama has reportedly found Nick Saban’s replacement.

Just two days after the seven-time national champion unexpectedly announced his retirement, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported on Friday that the Crimson Tide are in the final stages of negotiating with Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer to be the next Crimson Tide head coach.

The Huskies head coach led his team to 25 wins over the past two seasons, including 21 straight wins from the middle of the 2022 season until Monday’s national championship loss to Michigan. Only two teams won more games than Washington during DeBoer’s tenure.

The Huskies finished with 343.7 passing yards and 36.0 points per game, finishing second and 13th in the nation in the respective categories, and quarterback Michael Penix Jr. won the Maxwell Award and finished as the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy.

Before Washington, DeBoer spent two years as the Fresno State head coach in 2020-21. He went 12-6 in 18 games as the Bulldogs head coach.

DeBoer also spent time on the offensive staff of Indiana (2019) and Eastern Michigan (2014-16), and he was the head coach at Sioux Falls for five years. At just 49 years old, this will be his first coaching job in the SEC.

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