Things were never going to be easy for whoever replaced the greatest college football coach of all time.
Fortunately for Alabama Crimson Tide fans, Kalen DeBoer is coming into the opportunity with the right mindset.
DeBoer was hired by Alabama after Nick Saban announced his retirement from coaching. Crimson Tide fans are putting plenty of pressure on their new head coach to try to replicate the same success that Saban had with the program.
Instead of wilting over the pressure, DeBoer is embracing the opportunity.
“Embracing the moment is a privilege that you get that comes along with being at a place like Alabama,” DeBoer told Blake Toppmeyer with USA Today. “So, enjoy it.”
Saban turned Alabama back into a blue blood program. After taking over in 2007, he led the Crimson Tide to six national championships, nine SEC titles, and an absurd 201-29 record.
Now, DeBoer comes into his new head coaching job with expectations to compete for conference and national titles right away.
“This program has that expectation of being championship caliber and being involved in the playoff every single year,” DeBoer shared with Toppmeyer. “And so, easier said than done, especially here with a schedule like we have this year, but that’s the expectation.”
DeBoer appears to be on the right track, at least on the recruiting front. The Crimson Tide currently have the second-best recruiting class in the country for 2025, trailing only the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Recruiting is one thing, but Alabama fans will be putting DeBoer under a microscope to get on-field results once the 2024 season begins.