The Alabama football program rushed its decision to hire Kalen DeBoer this week, and it could cost the school dearly in the new era of the expanded SEC and playoffs. Nick Saban surprised the college football world Wednesday when he told his players he would resign before the 2024 season.
As Nike suggests, the college football world breathed a sigh of relief after Saban resigned. the news of DeBoer’s hiring won’t keep anyone up at night.
Nike’s farewell ad for Nick Saban: pic.twitter.com/miNqeJnZCB
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) January 13, 2024
Did Alabama football make a rash decision to hire Kalen DeBoer?
Alabama football waited less than 48 hours from those reports to name DeBoer as the program’s next head coach. DeBoer was on a short list of candidates to replace Saban, along with Dan Lanning, Steve Sarkisian, Dabo Swinney, DeMeco Ryans, and Lane Kiffin.
DeBoer’s resume doesn’t jump like several of the names listed above. He has four years of D1 coaching experience, two of which were at Fresno State (12-6 overall record) and two at Washington.
DeBoer had an extremely successful season at Washington that ended in a blowout loss to Michigan in the National Championship. Much of Washington’s winning this season was due to future NFL quarterback Michael Penix Jr, whom DeBoer inherited at Washington when he took over in 2022.
I don’t want to knock DeBoer too much. He might be one of the better college football coaches. DeBoer earned two tough wins against Lanning’s Oregon team this season. He will leave Washington with a 25-3 record with the Huskies.
But he doesn’t have the long-term experience that proves he will be impactful at Alabama.
The new SEC is a tougher beast than a now-hollow Pac 12. DeBoer wasn’t really a household name during the College Football Playoff, much less before it. The transfer portal news out of Tuscaloosa isn’t promising after the hiring.
DeBoer occupied the spotlight this season much like Sonny Dykes did with TCU last year. Would Alabama have offered Dykes the job in Tuscaloosa if Saban had retired one year earlier?
Remember, the playoff committee put Alabama in the CFP over a battered Florida State this season because it didn’t want another TCU in the playoffs. That trajectory could be where Alabama is headed with DeBoer after rushing to hire him two days after losing their legend.
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