Kalen DeBoer's message at SEC Media Days was positive, but it is clear he knows the standard he must hit at Alabama.
ATLANTA – Kalen DeBoer answered 11 questions following his opening statement at SEC Media Days. He was at the podium for 34 minutes, standing below an oversized stylized photo of himself on the Alabama sidelines. Two words that never came up during his main media session: Nick Saban.
Year 2 has arrived in Tuscaloosa, and the questions no longer revolve around how DeBoer will navigate the delicate line of paying homage to college football’s modern day coaching legend while still being true to himself as the head man of the Tide.
Instead the questions now revolve around making up for a disastrous season debut.
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Now, ‘disastrous’ for Alabama football means nine wins, a final CFP ranking of No. 11 and victories over Georgia, LSU, Auburn (important!) and South Carolina. But nonetheless, when the College Football Playoff expands from four teams to 12, a spot for Alabama is a foregone conclusion.
Until it wasn’t.
Losing by three touchdowns to an Oklahoma team that struggled to score all year? Giving up a late lead against Tennessee? Getting out-pointed in a shootout at Vanderbilt?
Nope, that’s not the Alabama standard, and DeBoer addressed it Wednesday.
“We fell short of making the Playoffs,” he said. “It’s as simple as that, right? Giving yourself a chance to compete for a championship. We fell short. Our guys, and again I’m proud of them and the way they’ve responded to us not realizing the goals that we set out to have, getting back to work, focusing on the main thing.
“I feel like that’s always been the case. Sometimes there’s ups and downs you have to go through unfortunately that we had to experience. But in the end, we’re going to take advantage of the failures we’ve had and be better because of it.”
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These things cannot happen in Year 2 if DeBoer wants to have a Year 3. Nothing short of the College Football Playoff will be acceptable, and even a first-round loss may have Tide boosters impatient.
DeBoer was asked about his 10 career losses to unranked teams (he is 15-3 vs. ranked teams), and he noted many of those have come in his first seasons at Fresno State, Washington and of course, last year at Alabama. Fact checking this, eight of the 10 have indeed been when he was in his first year establishing a culture.
“You want year two to be moments of growth where you polish and clean things up,” DeBoer said. “Areas where you installed offense, defense, special team schemes that are now your foundation.”
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DeBoer went 14-1 in his second season at Washington in 2023, losing only in the national championship game to Michigan. His offensive coordinator that season, as it had been at Fresno State, was Ryan Grubb. DeBoer and Grubb had worked together for over 15 years, and Grubb was expected to join DeBoer at Alabama before he was given a chance to be the offensive coordinator for the Seahawks. Seattle went from 21st to 14th in total offense under Grubb but missed the playoffs, and head coach Mike McDonald fired Grubb. DeBoer jumped at the chance to bring him back and feels like there will be a tangible difference in the Alabama offense this year.
“Our familiarity with each other, the efficiency we have when it comes to the day-to-day work off season, in season, it certainly helps us gain even more momentum going into this fall,” DeBoer said.
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The returning players know the Tide came up short last season, and they feel the tradition that has been built at the program for decades.
“You walk in the facility and see the guys that came before you,” said linebacker Deontae Lawson. “You see all these first-round draft picks, all these national championship rings. You know the standard.”
DeBoer talked about opening with Florida State, a game that has big implications for both teams. FSU is trying to rebound from an unthinkable 2-10 season, while Alabama is trying to rebound in its own way.
“We don’t need to look anything beyond that as far as our preparation or what might lie ahead because none of it matters unless we take care of business and do what we’re doing, and be our best in that Week 1 game with Florida State,” he said.
Alabama is DeBoer’s program now, and the pressure is real. He was relaxed Wednesday, two weeks before official practice begins and he needs to, among other things, get a new quarterback ready for the season. Ty Simpson seems to be the leader in the clubhouse, and DeBoer seems comfortable with his backup options of Austin Mack and freshman Keelon Russell.
DeBoer has a track record of success, even Alabama-level success, as he showed at Washington. The time to show it in Tuscaloosa is now.
Category: General Sports
