Kalen DeBoer has a tough act to follow.
Alabama will name DeBoer its next head coach, sources told ESPN on Friday, replacing Nick Saban and his more than 200 wins and six national titles at the school.
DeBoer, 49, is 105-12 as a head coach and was named AP Coach of the Year at Washington last season on its way to the national championship.
Now he must transition to a tougher-than-ever SEC that adds Texas and Oklahoma next season.
Why did the Tide choose DeBoer to lead the next era of Alabama football? And what's next for Washington? We answer some of the most pressing questions about moving.
Why did Alabama choose DeBoer?
Above all, Alabama wanted a proven winner and DeBoer has won everywhere he's been. He has won 11 or more games in seven of his nine seasons as a head coach. He led Washington to a Pac-12 championship and the College Football Playoff National Championship game in his second season at U-Dub.
Two of the other guys prominently mentioned in the Alabama coaching search, Dan Lanning and Steve Sarkisian, were a combined 0-5 against DeBoer the past two seasons. DeBoer's offenses were electric. The Huskies ranked 13th nationally in scoring this season and sixth in 2022. They averaged at least 36 points per game both seasons, and look at the way quarterback Michael Penix Jr. flourished under DeBoer in Washington.
It was important for Alabama to get someone with extensive experience as a head coach. DeBoer has been a head coach in the Pac-12, at Fresno State and in Division II with Sioux Falls. – Chris bass
What will be the biggest challenge for DeBoer?
Staff retention will be the number one priority. A mass exodus of players to the portal could be crippling, especially since the ability to resupply will not occur again until the portal reopens to non-graduates in the spring. Even then, most of the big names had already made their moves. But that immediate concern aside, by far the biggest challenge will be expectations. Not just wins and losses, but he's constantly compared to Saban and how he did things.
While there is no Bear Bryant-style tower to take down, DeBoer will have to walk a fine line implementing his process without appearing to tread on Saban's capital P Process. Change too many things too quickly and the fan base and supporters might rebel. And in today's NIL game, you must continue to receive donations. –Alex Scarborough
What is DeBoer's first order of business regarding the roster?
DeBoer has some positives going for him when it comes to the roster. The first is that we just went through the early signing period and all but six of Alabama's original commits signed up early.
Classes have already started in Alabama, meaning class of 2024 prospects who enrolled early cannot be released from their national letters of intent; They would have to transfer to leave. To do that, players would use their one-time transfer, but they would also have to be admitted and enroll at a new school.
That could prove difficult, as different institutions have different schedules and players might have to wait until the summer to enroll.
DeBoer needs to make sure the elite players he just signed want to stay and fit into his system. The key member of that class is five-star quarterback Julian Sayin, who was the No. 1 quarterback and No. 3 overall prospect of the cycle. For depth, talent and competition, keeping Sayin on the roster is imperative.
He could be the quarterback of the future and make the transition to DeBoer a lot easier. He can show Sayin the success he had with Michael Penix Jr. and try to convince Sayin that he could do the same for him.
The next order of business would be to evaluate the roster and make sure the players he wants to keep know they are wanted. Players have a 30-day window to enter the transfer portal and explore other options. Washington players would also have a 30-day window to enter the portal since DeBoer left, so if there are some that he thinks could help him win at Alabama, he could try to bring them with him.
Alabama's roster is already full of stars and elite players, so there shouldn't be much of a elimination process. He is inheriting a team that won an SEC championship and made the College Football Playoff, so his primary goal should be to retain and maintain the status quo, while adding players to complement an already excellent roster. –Tom VanHaaren
What is Saban's new role at Alabama and how does it affect DeBoer?
Saban's role and/or presence will be throughout the university, not just in the football program. His office will be at Bryant-Denny Stadium, which means he won't chat with coaches or players at the football complex or poke his head into the film room. Besides, that's not his style.
Saban doesn't want to be the former coach checking on someone, but he will always be open to giving his advice when asked. What he wants is to be a resource in any way he can to the entire university in various ways. He has made it clear how much Alabama means to him and his wife, Terry. But he won't be hanging around all the time, and the reality is that whoever the new coach is at Alabama, Saban's huge shadow will always be lurking, whether Saban is physically present or not. — Low
Should Alabama compete for a national title next season?
The expectation won't change just because Saban is gone. And next season, why should I? Assuming key players from last season don't flee into the portal (Jalen Milroe, Caleb Downs, Deontae Lawson and Kadyn Proctor, to name a few), this team still has what it takes to compete for an SEC title. If not for defensive lapses late against Michigan, the Tide would hold on to win the Rose Bowl and perhaps send Saban away with a championship. And remember, the playoffs are expanding, so even without a conference championship next season, you can still enter.
But the challenge will be significant, leaving aside the difficulties that will accompany a transition as a coach. Georgia and LSU are going nowhere, Ole Miss is making a strong effort, and Texas comes into the conference with its own title expectations. -Scarborough
What should Washington prioritize in its coaching search?
For UW, it's simple: Ryan Grubb should be promoted from offensive coordinator to head coach immediately. If he's reading this and new UW athletic director Troy Dannen hasn't yet hired Grubb to replace DeBoer, he's moving too slowly.
DeBoer deserves all the credit he's gotten for what he's accomplished as a coach, but Grubb has been with him almost every step of the way (Sioux Falls, Eastern Michigan, Fresno State and UW). When Washington players talk about the offense and why he has been so successful, Grubb is the one they describe as the “mad genius” or some other type of equally flattering name.
He was the play-caller, he was the one who worked most closely with QB Michael Penix Jr. and he should be options A, B and C to replace DeBoer. This is not the same as Jimmy Lake inheriting the show from Chris Petersen. Grubb is ready. Building a coaching staff will be a challenge because DeBoer and Grubb will inevitably want to lean on some of the same guys, but there will be a pipeline of talented coaches who will want to be in Seattle. -Kyle Bonagura
Has DeBoer done enough to set up the University of Washington for sustained success upon entering the Big Ten?
With lax transfer rules in college football now, what's left behind doesn't matter as much as it used to. In theory, DeBoer's departure could spark an exodus. This is how sport is structured.
What it does leave behind is an energized base of supporters and donors who, after a taste of the good life, should be more willing to help strengthen the school's NIL opportunities than they were two years ago. If it wasn't already understood, DeBoer showed that the University of Washington has the infrastructure to compete at the highest level in sports and that goes a long way in recruiting.
With most of its key players set to depart, there was already an expectation that the University of Washington would take a step back next year as it moved to the Big Ten. But that was just part of the natural ebb and flow of a program that relied on so many veteran players. — Bonagura
