Kalen DeBoer was hired and introduced as Washington’s head coach on Tuesday.
He comes to Washington after serving as Fresno State’s head coach from 2020-21, compiling a 12-6 record. DeBoer served as Indiana’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2019. He did not coach for the Hoosiers in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl against Tennessee as he departed for Fresno State.
DeBoer served as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Eastern Michigan from 2014-16 under head coach Chris Creighton.
Creighton and DeBoer run various similar concepts as Heupel, utilizing H-backs and motion.
Creighton hired Brandon Blaney as Eastern Michigan’s tight ends coach in 2020 and is co-offensive coordinator and running game coordinator, while overseeing tight ends, in 2021. Blaney served as a graduate assistant working with the offensive line at Oklahoma when Heupel was the Sooners’ starting quarterback.
DeBoer also served as a head coach at NAIA Sioux Falls, compiling a 67-3 record and winning three national championships from 2005-09.
Like Heupel, DeBoer brings an attacking offense to the Power Five level as a head coach. DeBoer will mix tempo, utilize H-backs and run mesh in timely situations. He will also go under center and feature motion to set up strategic run or pass plays.
Against Oregon this season, DeBoer showcased the following sets and motion.
- 10-personnel, pistol
- Shotgun 11-personnel, X sweep motion
- 11-personnel, 3-man surface set
- 10-personnel, 3×1 set, running back draw
- Empty
- One back, 11-personnel, X motion, play-action
- 11-personnel, X-motion, running back draw
- 11 personnel, 3-man surface, motion from the Y, fake hand off and fake sweep, pass to the running back in the flat
- 10-personnel, shotgun, 2×2 set
- Empty with an H-back, slot near the line
- 20-personnel, one back, one H-back, 2×1 set, running back draw
- 10-personnel, under center, H-back, X near the line, Z in motion, outside zone run
- Pistol, 11-personnel with an H-back
Below are various plays of DeBoer over the years running mesh and motion.
