Tag: Kalen DeBoer

REPORT: Alabama is negotiating head coaching contract with Kalen DeBoer

Alabama has reportedly found it’s successor to Nick Saban in former Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer.

After 17 years of having Nick Saban at the helm of the program, the Crimson Tide was tasked with finding his replacement. In under 48 hours, Alabama is reportedly negotiating with Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer to serve in the same role for the Crimson Tide. The news was first reported on by ESPN’s Chris Low and Mark Schlabach.

DeBoer is coming off of a strong season with the Huskies, where the program made the College Football Playoffs as the No. 2 seed, defeated No. 3 Texas in the Sugar Bowl and advanced to the national championship, where they ultimately lost to top-seeded Michigan.

If the deal is finalized, Washington would be owed $12 million as a buyout from his current contract

Expectations will be high for the new Crimson Tide head coach, but Saban is expected to remain with the program to assist in the transition and serve in an advisory role.

The 49-year-old is no stranger to winning. As a head coach, DeBoer has an overall record of 104-12. In Tuscaloosa, perfection is the standard and DeBoer seems like he’s willing and able to coach up a team to a championship standard at the highest level.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Alabama football and the news on contract negotiations with DeBoer.

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Alabama negotiating contract with Washington’s Kalen DeBoer for their next head coach, per report

According to reports, Alabama and Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer are negotiating a contract.

Huge news for the Clemson faithful: Dabo Swinney will likely remain the Tigers’ head coach.

According to reports from ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg, Alabama is currently negotiating a contract with Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer. With this news, it is safe to say that Dabo Swinney will be remaining with the Clemson football program.

This is all in response to one of the best coaches in college football history, Nick Saban, retiring from coaching after a hall-of-fame career. Swinney to Bama, for many, made a lot of sense with Swinney’s history with the program and his track record as a National Championship head coach.

There is no true confirmation yet, but right now, we can take a sigh of relief.

OPINION: Alabama has a clear choice when it comes to hiring a new head coach

Breaking down what has happened in the recent hours of Alabama’s search for a head coach.

Replacing Nick Saban is an impossible task, it was always going to be. What he did on the football field will never be replicated. Six national titles, nine SEC Championships and four Heisman Trophy winners are just the beginning of an unfathomable list of achievements and accolades. There was never going to be an easy time for Saban to step away, but maybe it wasn’t the worst after an SEC title and Rose Bowl berth.

From Saban’s perspective, 14-hour long days are difficult for anyone, especially a 72-year-old. Especially in the era of the NIL, transfer portal, and social media, he has been remarkable in adapting as well as he has over time. However, I believe he still has a very bright future in media and think it’s more likely than not that he will end up on a show like ESPN’s College GameDay.

Stepping away now hurts, but if he left after the 2024 season, he would be departing at the same time as Milroe and other key contributors, which would leave a lot of issues for his successor. As of right now, whoever the next coach is has a chance to step in and take over the reins of a national title-caliber team. The next coach has a lot of recruiting to do to keep the current roster together, but Saban at an advisor-level role helps monumentally.

As for who the coach will be, I think Greg Byrne has his guy. Byrne loves and owes Saban the world, but he knew life would go on after Saban. Byrne has made some outstanding hires such as Nate Oats, so I would be appalled if he dropped the ball on the biggest coaching vacancy in the sport in 17 years. Who he hires after Saban is how Byrne’s legacy will always be judged, and I think this is an opportunity for him to flex his muscles.

Wednesday night, all the smoke indicated that Oregon’s Dan Lanning was the top target, but FOX Sports Joel Klatt has said since the jump that the pick is Washington’s DeBoer, even going as far as to say, “I would be pretty surprised if Deboer isn’t the next head coach at Alabama.” Klatt is as well connected to the people in the conference formerly known PAC-12 as anyone and is usually a very level-headed guy in a sport about hot takes.

In the last month, DeBoer hired a new agent, Jimmy Sexton. Sexton is the SEC mega-agent who represents guys like Steve Sarkisian, Lane Kiffin, Mike Norvell, and plenty of other big-time names.

Today, Norvell had a new deal announced and Sark is reportedly close to one which tells me that Sexton is just leveraging his guys into new deals for now. Norvell, Lanning, and Sarkisian have all publicly posted videos to X to stay at their current school, but it’s been crickets from DeBoer in Seattle. It was so quiet that DeBoer called out on his morning appearance with the 93.3 KJR radio station in Seattle.

DeBoer is from South Dakota and has no true allegiances anywhere when it comes to coaching, so it’s pretty hard to turn down the best coaching job in the sport in Alabama. He is 104-12 as a head coach and coming off of back-to-back PAC-12 Coach of the Year awards. He went 67-3 at Sioux Falls with three NAIA national championships. Since taking over for Washington he is 25-3, and 3-0 against Lanning and 2-0 against Sarkisian. He led his team to the College Football Playoffs and got all the way to the national championship, but fell short.

Until something tells me otherwise, all signs seem to point to DeBoer. Everywhere DeBoer has been, he has won, it would be interesting to see what he could do with Alabama’s resources. It also opens the question if he would bring offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, an Alabama target last summer, along with him.

I get that trying to replace Saban is a daunting task, but these college football coaches aren’t going to shy away from a challenge.

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FootballScoop updates on Texas’ Sarkisian, ‘Bama coaching search

Sarkisian is unlikely to leave Texas per Football Scoop.

The Alabama coaching search continues. The betting line for who is next to take the job is in constant flux, but tangible evidence on the search came in the form of a report from FootballScoop.

FootballScoop proved reliable in reporting Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian’s search for assistant coaches prior to Sarkisian’s first year in Austin. John Brice of FootballScoop had the following to say of where the Texas head coach stands in the search.

“Other names associated with the Alabama search but seeming, at this point, to lack much traction whatsoever include Ole Miss coach and former Tide title-winning offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin, former Bama OC and current Texas leader Steve Sarkisian and Clemson’s Dabo Swinney, the former Alabama player with multiple national titles at Clemson.”

So, it probably won’t be Kiffin, Sarkisian or Swinney. Who else could it be? FootballScoop identified three coaches that had become primary targets as of Thursday afternoon: Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer, Florida State head coach Mike Norvell and Alabama offensive coordinator Tommy Rees.

Among other targets were Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz and Maryland’s Mike Locksley.

Of the above names, DeBoer is far and away the top candidate. Perhaps he is even the best coach in college football. He was the best coach this season. His 25-3 record in two years at once middling Washington elevates him above most other coaches after starting fast and contending fast.

Norvell is certainly in the same tier after resurrecting a Florida State program that appeared mired in mediocrity of its own. The Seminoles went 13-1 in 2023.

Tommy Rees is the most befuddling inclusion in light of his lack of ingenuity and head coaching experience. The next few days could produce an Alabama head coach, but I would be surprised if that is the option the Crimson Tide wants to choose.

What seems clear presently is FootballScoop, like Inside Texas and Bama247, does not find it likely that Sarkisian would leave Texas for Tuscaloosa. We will continue to cover the coaching search and updates on Sarkisian as we hear more.

Update: Late on Thursday evening, Steve Sarkisian and his wife, Loreal, posted on social media essentially confirming he will be staying with Texas.

Was the Kalen DeBoer run at Washington the past two years a one-hit wonder?

Kalen DeBoer had something special at Washington the past two seasons. Will he replicate it?

We asked our Pac-12 football panel: Does the Kalen DeBoer-Michael Penix run at Washington feel like a one-hit wonder or the start of a new Don James Husky empire?

Matt Zemek, Trojans Wire: Kalen DeBoer is good. Assuming he can get a good spring portal pickup at quarterback, he should be able to keep things rolling on Montlake. However, this past season was unique at Washington. A lot of NFL-level talents decided to come back together for another year. That doesn’t happen very often. So many different factors converged to make 2023 Washington special. I doubt DeBoer will have a season as good as this one. It’s going to be his best season at UW. If DeBoer can regularly go 10-2 in Seattle, that would be great … and he has a strong chance of doing that.

Zachary Neel, Ducks Wire: I don’t think it’s fair to call the Huskies a one-hit wonder this year. I have too much respect for Kalen DeBoer and what he is doing up in Seattle to do that. He is among the best coaches in the nation and has proven that over the past couple of years. However, I think it is fair to question how good Washington will be next year without Michael Penix, Rome Odunze, Jalen McMillan, Bralen Trice, and all of their top players. The recruiting needs to pick up for Washington to continually play at this high of a level, but I think DeBoer can get them there.

Matt Wadleigh, Trojans Wire: This feels like a one-hit wonder to me. Kalen DeBoer has been magnificent (I followed him a lot at Fresno State). But, finding a player sich as Penix in the future might be tough, and this run feels like the Cincinnati Bengals’ Super Bowl run where they lost to the Rams — exactly a one-hit wonder. That’s not a bad thing by any means, but it does mean Washington faces certain limitations.

Don Smalley, Ducks Wire: Somewhere in between? DeBoer is a really good coach and a grand slam hire for the Huskies, but they’ll be down next season and will probably miss the playoffs next season. But they should be consistently good for a while.

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The painful truth about the Alabama coaching search

Alabama’s hunt for a new football coach has driven many fans mad as they look for clues and answers. Perhaps that was the plan all along.

The dust has finally settled and there is an empty office at the Mal Moore Athletics Facility in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The office will sit empty until one of the biggest coaching hires in all of North American sports is made. Who on planet Earth will replace Nick Saban?

His decision to retire from coaching shocked the nation in ways many had not predicted. The greatest college football head coach chose to go out in the most Saban-way imaginable: a snap judgment made five minutes before a pre-scheduled meeting on a random Wednesday shortly after the season ended.

No farewell tour, no planning ahead, no balloons and confetti. He didn’t need it, and I can almost guarantee you he wouldn’t have wanted it.

Now, Saban is working alongside University of Alabama athletics director Greg Byrne to hire a replacement. Their goal is simple: Find someone who can carry on the tradition of winning in Tuscaloosa. The standard has been set by Saban, which means the next coach to roam Bryant-Denny’s sidelines will have the weight of the entire Yellowhammer State on his shoulders.

The coaching search has been active for just over a day, but it’s felt like decades to many Tide fans.

LOOK: Social media heats up over Alabama’s reported interest in Kalen DeBoer

Could Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer be Nick Saban’s replacement at Alabama? Social media is heating up over the idea.

With Nick Saban stepping down from the head coaching role at Alabama, the Crimson Tide football program is hunting for a new head coach. Filling the seat of a legend who held it for 17 years is no easy task, but some fans think they know who might be up to the task.

In the brief time since Saban announced his retirement, a number of names have been floated. Oregon head coach Dan Lanning was a favorite at one point, but he shut down those rumors on Thursday afternoon. Mike Norvell of Florida State has also received significant buzz.

However, it feels like the focus of the fans has shifted to Kalen DeBoer, the head coach of the Washington Huskies. Would he be willing to head to Tuscaloosa just a few days after losing in the national championship?

Social media chimes in.

What coaches with Big Ten connections (cough, Kalen DeBoer) could be the next Alabama football head coach?

A look at some names that Alabama football might be looking at for their next head coach.

Nick Saban stepped down as the head coach of Alabama football on Wednesday, drawing an end to an era of incredible success. Yes, Kalen DeBoer, despite the flimsy Big Ten connection, is on the list.

There is likely never going to be another Saban, who might just be the best head coach in college football history. His success with Alabama is staggering.

He was 206-29 with a 16-7 record in bowl games. He won six national championships with Alabama (and one with LSU).

Now, Alabama will have to replace a head coach who might well be the best of all time. It won’t be easy.

And while Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer is the favorite to end up with Alabama, nothing is set in stone.

 

Alabama is a pressure cooker job, one where a winning record and a New Year’s Six bowl appearance simply isn’t enough. Alabama will have to hire young, hungry and aggressive.

Scroll down and check out what head coach with Big Ten connections might be a fit for Alabama football!

HOT or COLD: Rating the rumored candidates for the Alabama HC job

See which coaches’ names are hot or cold based on who has been named as possible Alabama HC candidates.

After spending 17 years in Tuscaloosa as the Alabama football head coach, Nick Saban has retired.

Though the news is still fresh, the focus isn’t on remembering what the legendary head coach did in Tuscaloosa, it’s on identifying who will replace him.

Many names have been thrown around as possible targets for the Crimson Tide. Some are just high-profile coaches, while others are genuine candidates. Overall, they remain just rumors and loose reports of potential interest.

Alabama athletics director Greg Byrne stated the program is looking to hire a coach who is “strong in recruiting and relationship building, player development, excels in X’s and O’s, and has the overall ability to lead this historic program.”

Let’s see which coaches meet the requirements and expectations to become the next Alabama head coach.

Roll Tide Wire/USA TODAY SMG

Who are the most likely candidates to replace Nick Saban at Alabama?

Dan Lanning and Kalen DeBoer lead a short list of top candidates to take over for Nick Saban with the Alabama Crimson Tide.

The college football world changed on Wednesday afternoon with the news that Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban was retiring.

It’s fair to say it marks the end of an era in the sport. Saban will leave college football as arguably the greatest coach in college football history, with seven national championships to his name.

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Much of the drama since his departure has been about who would replace Saban in Tuscaloosa. Fans of the Oregon Ducks are all too aware of this because head coach Dan Lanning has been considered one of the top candidates since the news broke. The ensuing hours saw the rumor mill go wild, with false reports that Lanning was in Tuscaloosa on Wednesday night causing quite a stir in Eugene.

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While I can confirm Lanning was not in Alabama, that doesn’t mean he is 100% not taking the job, though I believe he will ultimately stay in Eugene.

Who will be the next head coach of the Crimson Tide, though? That’s a good question. Lets break down the top options, and assign hypothetical betting odds for how likely I think that candidate is to actually take over in Tuscaloosa.