On Friday, Nick Saban talked about Kalen DeBoer's current situation in Tuscaloosa. As was often the case in his coaching career, Saban's words were carefully chosen.
The GOAT reminded that being the Head Coach of Alabama Football is different from any other college job. Talking about the unique pressure, Saban said that Alabama fans "expect you to win every game." Not only has DeBoer not come close to winning at a Saban-like clip, but his record against unranked teams shocks Crimson Tide fans. At Alabama, Nick Saban was 119-1 against unranked teams. Kalen DeBoer is 9-4.
During one 2025 game, Alabama went from being one of the top favorites to win the National Championship to one almost no one projects as a Playoff team. Things must change for Alabama Football - and quickly.
Speaking further about DeBoer, Saban said, "Kalen is a really good guy. He's a good coach. He's always had success everywhere he's been. Maybe he hasn't had to deal with this kind of scrutiny in the past."
Kalen DeBoer and the Alabama Football Staff Need to Self-Assess
In seeking an Alabama Football turnaround, Saban said of DeBoer, " ... if you're going to be successful, you've got to be able to self-assess and figure out, 'Hey, what can I do better?' I know that he's reaching out to a lot of people trying to do that. Hopefully they get it turned around this week and develop some confidence on this team so they can move forward in a positive way."
Alabama Crimson Tide fans hope DeBoer has reached out to Saban and carefully considered the GOAT's advice. Saban should have been DeBoer's first call. DeBoer must carve his own path, and that is not likely to include having Saban on speed dial. But Saban has insight that no one else can offer DeBoer.
Alabama Defensive Coordinator Kane Wommack might need Saban more than DeBoer. There are doubts that Wommack's defensive scheme is good enough to handle top SEC offenses. Wommack's defense produced quite good Scoring Defense stats last season, but clearly still struggles against dual-threat quarterbacks.