Kalen DeBoer does not need anyone to defend him, but David Pollack did it anyway. On a recent episode of See Ball Get Ball, the college football analyst looked at what all DeBoer has done since taking over at Alabama and assessed it as best as he could. DeBoer may be the one to replace Nick Saban at Alabama, but he is the one who signed up for this. All in all, he has done a fine job thus far.
This comment from Pollack help paints a picture over what exactly DeBoer has been put up against.
"Yes, that's my thing, just, first of all, 20-8 after Saban left and the mass exodus that followed him," Pollack said. "Guys were leaving left and right, man. He wasn't dealt a fair hand. Kalen DeBoer, I'll say it again, he's a great coach. He's been a great coach his whole life."
Since this was not a promotion from within, there was always going to be some level of attrition when DeBoer came over to Tuscaloosa. While the 20-8 record lands differently with certain parts of the fan base, this will only be year three for him leading Alabama. This might be the season where it will all be about DeBoer's kind of guys. The big question is if those guys can win prolifically in the SEC this year.
Here is everything Pollack had to say about Alabama while previewing the Tide on See Ball Get Ball.
While DeBoer's situation has not been the easiest to navigate, he was largely handed a golden goose.
Kalen DeBoer must prove David Pollack right with a fantastic third season
If we were to look at the main components from Pollack's thoughts on DeBoer, these ones do stand out: His 20-8 overall record, the mass exodus following Saban's retirement, and the notion of DeBoer being such a great coach. While his 20-8 mark would be great for most programs, is it really great for Alabama? DeBoer has lost four games each year he has been here. That may question his greatness.
As for the mass exodus Pollack pointed out, this is not uncommon to most regime changes. Players rarely pick the school anymore, opting to pick the coach, or whatever program gives them the biggest bag coming out of high school. However, there is no denying that there had been major upheaval with DeBoer taking over for Saban in 2024. It all adds up to this critical season for DeBoer.
Overall, Pollack is just trying to paint a fair picture in which DeBoer can be judged ahead of year three. It is his job as a college football analyst to see things through. However, DeBoer will always be seen through a warped lens because of who he is and who he replaced on the Alabama sidelines. Truth be told, he will end up doing better than Ray Perkins trying to replace Paul "Bear" Bryant leading the Tide.
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Ultimately, DeBoer is running out of time to prove to his doubters how great of a head coach he really is. Alabama is a dream job for most coaches. DeBoer expects so many things out of himself and the program he now leads. Unfortunately, he has a reputation as a bit of a job-hopper. DeBoer has rarely stayed anywhere for very long since leaving Sioux Falls. Pressure makes diamonds, or it cracks eggs.
At this time, no one is going to care about the tough hand DeBoer drew if he does not win this season.
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