New Look Tide: Still Rolling Under Coach Kalen DeBoer

© Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News/USA TODAY NETWORK

The Alabama Crimson Tide find themselves in a position only they and arguably a few others have been in, replacing the greatest head coach of a generation. Alabama has been through this before when Ray Perkins replaced legendary coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. Perkins lasted four years at the Capstone with a record of 32-15-1. After taking over for legendary head coach Nick Saban, can Kalen DeBoer have more success than Perkins did after taking over for Bryant?

Alabama's Tradition

While some may argue that Alabama's recent success is solely tied to Nick Saban's leadership, historical evidence suggests otherwise. The 1977 song "Deacon Blues" by Steely Dan includes the lyrics.

They got a name for the winners in the world.

I want a name when I lose.

They call Alabama the Crimson Tide.

Call me Deacon Blues.

This song verse illustrates that Alabama's reputation for victory predates Saban's tenure. However, the real question remains: can Kalen DeBoer uphold this legacy of triumph?

Alabama has 16 national championships according to NCAA.com. Of their 16 titles, 12 came from two coaches, Saban and Bryant. While winning four national titles without them is nothing to scoff at, Alabama's success has been heavily tied to arguably the two best coaches in football history. Can DeBoer cement himself in Alabama's history as one of the greats, or will he be remembered as a Perkins, Bill Curry, or even a Mike Dubose?

Kalen Deboer's Coaching Record

To put it simply, DeBoer wins everywhere he goes. As a head coach, Deboer accumulated a record of 104-12. DeBoer cut his teeth in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletes (NAIA) at the University of Sioux Falls, where he posted a record of 67-3 and won three national championships in just five years.

DeBoer broke into the FBS as an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for Eastern Michigan in 2014. In 2017 he was hired as Fresno State's OC/QB coach, where he stayed until 2019 when he was hired as Indiana's OC/QB coach. At Indiana, he coached QB Michael Penix Jr. who eventually joined him at Washington. He also coached alongside Kane Womack who has joined him at Alabama as his defensive coordinator.

Fresno State hired DeBoer as its head coach in 2020, DeBoer's first head-coaching gig. DeBoer led the Bulldogs to a 3-3 record that season, which was shortened by the pandemic. The following year, Fresno State rebounded with an impressive 9-3 record, including wins against ranked opponents UCLA and San Diego State. His success at Fresno was enough to get him hired as the head coach of Washington.

When DeBoer took over at Washington, he inherited a team that went 4-8 the season before. In 2022, as the first-year head coach for the Washington Huskies, DeBoer finished the regular season with a 10-2 record, including wins against ranked teams Michigan State, Oregon State and Oregon. He concluded the season in the Alamo Bowl with a win against Steve Sarkisian and the Texas Longhorns. In his second year at Washington, DeBoer reunited with QB Michael Penix Jr. and secured a record of 14-0 before losing to Michigan in the College Football Playoff national championship game.

In his short four-year tenure as an FBS head coach, DeBoer has gone 12-2 against top 25 opponents and has put together an overall record of 36-6.

Will DeBoer's Success Translate to the SEC?

While Deboer has been successful everywhere he's coached, the Southeastern Conference is a different animal, so they say. It could be argued that going from the NAIA to the Mountain West Conference or from the MWC to the Pac-12 Conference is a bigger jump than the Pac-12 to the SEC. But that's not something that SEC fanboys want to hear. After finally ridding themselves of Nick Saban, the rest of the SEC is terrified that DeBoer will keep the Tide rolling for years to come.

The biggest knock on DeBoer when he was hired to lead the Crimson Tide was the notion that he wouldn't be able to recruit to a level fitting of the Tide and the SEC. However, at the date and time this article was written, Alabama held the number two recruiting class in the country for the 2025 cycle.

No one can tell the future, and while his resume is impressive, there is no guarantee that DeBoer can translate his previous success to the future with Alabama. But with his history as a coach and his recent success in recruiting it's harder to say that he will fail to continue Alabama's long history of success on the football field.

While DeBoer might not be the next Saban, he is the best man to take his place. Alabama Athletic Director Greg Byrne has a stellar track record when it comes to hiring new coaches and the hire of DeBoer looks to add to that success on the gridiron.