Kalen DeBoer officially named Alabama’s next head coach
Kalen DeBoer has officially been named the next head football coach at the University of Alabama, replacing Nick Saban who led the Crimson Tide to six national championships over the last 17 seasons.
Alabama Athletic Director Greg Byrne seemingly confirmed the news Friday afternoon, tweeting a picture of smoke coming from a chimney and saying “the plane has left Seattle.” Earlier this week, Byrne said the next time he spoke publicly would be to announce a new coach.
The university put out a press release just before 6:30 p.m.
“We are excited to welcome Kalen and Nicole DeBoer, and their daughters, Alexis and Avery, to The University of Alabama,” said Byrne. “Coach DeBoer has proven he is a winner and has done an incredible job as a head coach at each of his stops. One of the things I told our team the other day is we are going to get someone who is not only a great coach with the Xs and Os, but also someone who cares about his players and someone I’d want my sons to play for, just like I would have wanted them to play for Coach Saban. We got that in Coach DeBoer. He is ready to get to work, and we look forward to him leading the Alabama Crimson Tide football program for years to come. We are grateful to our leadership in President Stuart Bell, Chancellor Finis St. John and The University of Alabama System Board of Trustees for their support during this process.”
A team meeting for Alabama was scheduled for 9 p.m. Friday.An official introductory press conference is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday. We will stream the press conference online and air it live on ABC 33/40 in its entirety.
“I have always had an incredible respect for Alabama football and its commitment to excellence,” DeBoer said. “The tradition-rich history of this program is unmatched across the landscape of college athletics, and I look forward to continuing that moving forward. Following Coach Saban is an honor. He has been the standard for college football, and his success is unprecedented. I would not have left Washington for just any school. The chance to lead the football program at The University of Alabama is the opportunity of a lifetime. My family and I feel truly blessed and look forward to becoming a part of the Tuscaloosa community. I want to thank Director of Athletics Greg Byrne, President Stuart R. Bell, Chancellor Finis St. John and The University of Alabama System Board of Trustees for their belief in me to lead this program.”
DeBoer, 49, led Washington to its first ever appearance in a College Football Playoff National Championship Game, losing to Michigan to end a 14-1 season with the Huskies. In two seasons, he led Washington to a 25-3 record, finishing in the top 10 of the AP rankings both seasons.
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