All Gas No Breaks for Kalen Deboer
Since Kalen Deboer was announced as the successor to Nick Saban in Tuscaloosa it has been all gas and no breaks. He has put together an impressive staff despite having to find an Offensive Coordinator, OL Coach, and an LB Coach two times. Deboer has had to withstand the 30-day portal window in Tuscaloosa, bring Ryan Williams back into the fold, as well as determine which pieces from his previous program in Washington he could bring to Tuscaloosa to further bolster the Alabama roster. And, to top things off, Coach Deboer has even found time to Tweet.
What is most impressive so far of his short time in Tuscaloosa is how quickly Deboer can transition. It seemed he had his full staff in place, but as soon as the Seahawks took his OC and Offensive Line Coach he had to go back to the drawing board. It seemed like he had his new candidates in place in a matter of minutes, and very quickly found a new LB coach as well following the hasty departure of William Inge. It is daunting enough to be the guy after the G.O.A.T., but Deboer has excelled so far. He has been able to put together a very solid staff and made sure to mix those who he has worked with and those with connections to the South and the SEC.
He has had great success in the transfer portal from, bringing talent with him from Seattle in addition to the most recent acquisition of Keon Sabb from Michigan. It will be very interesting to see what moves the Tide will make once the spring transfer portal opens up as well.
It may only be February, but the excitement around the Alabama program is very noticeable. There is a fresh new feeling in Tuscaloosa, a much more modern approach to the off-season activities, and the nation will see this with the number of people who will be at the A-Day game in April.
It hasn't even been two months but the confidence and quick decision-making that Coach Deboer has shown so far gives me great confidence in the success that the Alabama Football program will continue to experience in 2024 and beyond.