A well-respected coach from the Pacific Northwest is expected to head down south to take the head coaching job for the Alabama Crimson Tide.
It’s not Dan Lanning.
On Friday afternoon, reports surfaced that Washington Huskies head coach Kalen DeBoer was in negotiations to become the next head coach of the Crimson Tide, taking over for Nick Saban, who announced his retirement on Wednesday afternoon.
DeBoer has a staggering career record of 104-12 in his coaching career, and he took the Huskies to the College Football Playoff national championship game in 2024, where UW lost to Michigan, 34-13.
Before going to Washington, DeBoer won three NAIA national championships at Sioux Falls. He took over a 4-8 team two years ago and turned them around quickly. The Huskies went 10-1 versus Top 25 teams. DeBoer is 12-2 all-time against ranked opponents.
This is a tough blow for Washington, which is already losing star players like Michael Penix, Rome Odunze, Jalen McMillan, Ja’Lynn Polk, Bralen Trice, and several other former starters.
Lanning was initially believed to be the leading candidate for the position, and rumors swirled over the last 24 hours that he would ultimately take the job. However, Lanning posted a video on social media earlier on Thursday stating that he was staying in Eugene, and had no intentions of leaving.
[lawrence-auto-related count=3]