Kalen DeBoer has not shied away from pulling back the curtain during his short time as the Alabama head football coach. He allowed cameras to follow the team around all of last season for the "Tides that Bind" documentary that aired on Fox Nation.
For spring practice this year, DeBoer once again allowed cameras to follow his team for the SEC Network's "All In" documentary that premiered on Monday night. All in is an appropriate name for it as the buy-in with DeBoer in Tuscaloosa is sky-high.
But that wasn't always the case.
In fact, star freshman Ryan Williams had a revealing quote during Monday night's premiere.
“When coach DeBoer first got here, it was kind of a culture shock,” Williams said. “Just listening to the other guys. Some people weren’t bought into Coach DeBoer yet. Now that we’re in year 2, basically everyone that’s here they’re bought into coach DeBoer and the rest of the coaching staff and everything we do.”
Going from Nick Saban's fiery, demanding demeanor to DeBoer's more laid-back approach made for a less-than-seamless transition for the players in the locker room. It also led to some players taking advantage of DeBoer's approach. We heard plenty about players who were late to meetings throughout the season last year.
It's why the hiring of Ryan Grubb as offensive coordinator was so important. Grubb brings more of a fiery, Drill Sergeant-esque approach that is the perfect mesh with DeBoer's approach. Together, the two have enjoyed a lot of success.
'Buy-in' is not a problem in year two for Kalen DeBoer
DeBoer no longer has to worry about his team buying what he's selling. He's effectively flipped the roster to the point that it is his now and no longer Saban's. It's obvious that buy-in is much higher for the 2025 Crimson Tide than the 2024 team. The best example of that is the fact that Alabama had zero scholarship players enter the Transfer Portal during the spring cycle.
Last year's disappointment is fueling Alabama this offseason as they prepare for a bounce-back season in 2025. Last year's struggles have made the buy-in process easier for this team, according to senior LB Justin Jefferson:
“Especially after losing four games, you’ve got to buy into something,” Jefferson said. “Can’t do that again. Can’t do that again. I really feel like it’s a lot of buzz, a lot of anticipation, a lot of excitement for what’s coming. Really anxious to get to work.”
The transition from Saban to any other coach in the country would have been challenging. You don't just replace the greatest in the history of the sport and move on like it is business as usual. This was always going to be a big challenge for DeBoer and his staff.
Getting the team to buy-in is the first battle. He struggled with that in year one. He has it fully in year two. Now the results have to follow.
(Quotes are courtesy of Nick Kelly's piece on AL.com.)