What to know about new Alabama football coach Kalen DeBoer
University of Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne has reportedly found his man. Kalen DeBoer will replace Nick Saban as the Crimson Tide’s head football coach.
The landscape of college football shifted even more on Friday with the move. DeBoer, who took Washington to a College Football Playoff national title appearance, leaves an emerging Big 10 power for a Southeastern Conference staple. Saban crafted a 17-year legacy with six national titles in Tuscaloosa, giving DeBoer the unenviable task of being the guy to enter the building after the greatest of all time leaves it.
Yet, with a strong track record at varying levels of football, there’s reason to believe DeBoer is the right choice for the job. Here’s what to know about DeBoer, a 48-year-old former wide receiver who just became one of the most powerful people in the state.
Smalltown roots
Saban’s origin story as the son of a West Virginia gas station owner has been well documented. DeBoer is a little different. He grew up in Milbank, South Dakota, a town of roughly 3,500 people, under a single parent, his mother Phylis Waterfall. Playing baseball and football, DeBoer set records at the University of Sioux Falls, batting .520 as a senior and catching 33 touchdowns in his three-year football career
DeBoer played left field with the Canton Crocodiles, an independent team in the Frontier League, after graduating in 1998, recording 22 hits in 24 games. DeBoer then coached on his former coach Bob Young’s staff for a year, became an assistant at Washington High then returned to Sioux Falls as offensive coordinator.
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