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By Christopher Kamrani, Bruce Feldman, Kennington Smith III and Chris Vannini
The man chosen to succeed the greatest college football coach in the history of the game is from rural South Dakota, which surely some Crimson Tide fanatics have never heard of. At least for the last 72 hours.
Cullen DeBoer, known in the industry as both a program maker and excavator, told his staff in Washington that he is accepting an offer from Alabama for Nick Saban’s former coaching job, team sources confirmed Friday. of. DeBoer met with his Washington team Friday afternoon and explained why he was making the move, sources said.
News of the hiring was officially announced by Alabama on Friday evening.
“It has been an honor to follow Coach Saban,” DeBoer said in a school statement. “He has been the benchmark for college football, and his success is phenomenal. I wouldn’t leave Washington for any school. The chance to lead the football program at the University of Alabama is the opportunity of a lifetime.
DeBoer, 49, went 25-3 in two years in Washington, leading the Huskies from a disappointing 4-8 campaign in 2021 under the previous coaching regime. Saban, who won six national championships while in charge of the program, shocked the sports world Wednesday afternoon when it was announced he was retiring at the age of 72.
DeBoer, Washington and its revitalized fan base were not even 48 hours removed from the heartbreak of a 34-13 loss to Michigan in the College Football Playoff national championship Monday night in Houston.
“Callen DeBoer has been an outstanding leader of our football program and what he accomplished in two seasons at Montlake will always be a part of our storied history,” said Washington athletic director Troy Dannon. “We are saddened by his loss and have made every effort to keep Cullen at UW.”
While candidates to replace Saban ranged from former trusted assistants like Texas’ Steve Sarkisian to people drafted under him like Oregon’s Dan Lanning, the list was narrowed down gradually during a quick process overseen by Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne. Was reduced.
Thursday morning, Lanning — a former graduate assistant under Saban — announced on social media that he is staying in Eugene. Sarkisian is close to finalizing a contract extension to remain with Texas.
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Ultimately, it came down to DeBoer, Florida State head coach Mike Norvell and Alabama offensive coordinator Tommy Rees. Earlier on Friday, Norvell and FSU agreed to a new deal.
In DeBoer, Byron went with what some might see as an unconventional hire, a guy who has never coached in the SEC. Sometime this fall, DeBoer hired college football coaching superagent Jimmy Sexton, who represents most of the coaches in the SEC, including Saban.
“Coach DeBoer has proven that he is a winner and has done an incredible job at each of his stops as a head coach,” Byrne said Friday. “One thing I said to my team that day was that we’re going to get someone who will not only be a great coach with the X’s and Os, but someone who cares about his players and someone who Which I would like my sons to play. Because, just like I wanted them to play for Coach Saban. We found that in Coach DeBoer.”
As seen over the past two days, several dominoes needed to move in the direction of Byrne heading to Seattle to find his Saban successor.
There will be no reconstruction or deep extraction for DeBoer in Tuscaloosa. It is absolutely a contender to compete and win national titles every year in operation. In Washington, DeBoer installed an offense that became one of the most entertaining in the game in 2023, highlighted by a Heisman Trophy finalist quarterback in Michael Penix Jr., three future NFL wideouts and the best offensive line in the country.
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“I think it depends on how he’s wired,” former Washington coach Chris Peterson said last month.
“Kallen is steadfast in his convictions. He knows what he wants to do. He is calm. He is balanced. ‘So and so has just been hurt. ‘So and so is going to be transferred.’ I know it bothers him. But it’s not the end of the world, and that’s fluid,” Peterson added. “Like how do we keep adjusting and adapting? These are the things that really stand out to me. Yeah, he’s a really good offensive mind. Yes, he is a good organizer. In my opinion, what makes him special is he’s at the bottom of the totem pole.”
DeBoer was hired in November 2021 after two years at the helm at Fresno State, where he went 12-6 and coached future NFL quarterback Jake Heiner. From 2005 to 2009, he won three NAIA national titles with Sioux Falls and kept the program in the title game all five years. From 2010 to 2019, DeBoer coached across the country at various levels as an offensive coordinator at Southern Illinois (2010–2013), Eastern Michigan (2014–2016), Fresno State (2017–2018) and Indiana (2019). .
At each stop, DeBoer’s offensive philosophy based on taking advantage of open space for playmakers and freedom for the quarterback has ranked among the top in the country.
“I think there’s a foundation of what the system is, but there’s a lot of flexibility to be able to grow and evolve. It will always be around our personnel. It’s going to be quarterback-driven,” DeBoer explained. athletic Before the Sugar Bowl victory over Texas. “The quarterback will be able to take us as far as he can with his skills and his understanding of the offense. But in the end, it will just work around the players we have. We’ve done it with our team’s strengths at tight end, we’ve done it with our team’s strengths at running backs, receivers, we’ve had success in a lot of different ways.
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Over the last two years, the Huskies went 10–1 against Top 25 teams. DeBoer’s all-time score against ranked opponents is 12–2. He has also been impressive against his contemporaries in the game and some of those in the mix for the Alabama job. He was 3–0 against Lanning, 2–0 against Sarkisian, and 1–0 against USC’s Lincoln Riley.
Washington had the No. 1 passing offense in the country in 2023 and ranked 12th in total offense. Despite Alabama qualifying for the College Football Playoff, the Crimson Tide offense was not the same as it had been in recent years. It ranked 56th in total offense and 68th in passing offense.
Before the national title game, Washington defensive lineman Fatui Tuitele explained athletic That DeBoer fixed a broken locker room.
“Our culture was really damaged during that time, but then Coach DeBoer came along,” he said. “Everything has been wonderful. “He really changed our culture for the better.”
At Alabama, the culture has been Nick Saban and contending for titles since 2007. But those who know DeBoer well believe he is uniquely made for such situations.
“Callen has a gentle nature,” said a former Washington staffer, speaking on condition of anonymity. “His nature is very unique. He doesn’t swear. He remains very still all the time.”
What will Alabama look like under DeBoer?
Recruiting and retention is a top priority for Alabama’s roster, as wide receiver Isaiah Bonds entered the transfer portal on Friday. The best way for DeBoer to do this is to assemble his coaching staff with the same urgency as the head coaching search.
The first question is, which of Alabama’s current coaches will DeBoer retain? Offensive coordinator Tommy Rees, who interviewed for the head coaching position this week, is of particular interest and secondary coach Travaris Robinson, a valuable assistant and recruiter within the Southern footprint, is a high priority for DeBoer to retain on staff. There is a possibility of being a coach.
Three assistant coaching positions are vacant: wide receiver, outside linebacker and defensive coordinator. The wide receiver position is perhaps the most important position to fill, as securing that position as soon as possible would help Alabama regain the commitment of 2024 five-star Ryan Williams, who decommitted from Alabama amid Saban’s retirement. Were done and are signing during late signing. day in february.
Overall, finalizing the coaching staff and mobilizing to maintain the current roster and begin recruiting the 2025 class is DeBoer’s first major task as Alabama coach.
What’s next for Washington?
As for what the future holds for Washington, it remains to be seen if DeBoer is going to bring offensive coordinator and longtime coaching partner Ryan Grubb with him to Tuscaloosa. Ironically, Saban offered Grubb the offensive coordinator position last offseason, but Grubb turned it down to see how far the 2023 Huskies could go.
Regardless of whether Grubb moves on or not, Washington will be a different team next season. Several stars are departing, including Penix and wide receiver Rome Odunze, although former Mississippi State quarterback Will Rogers has transferred. UW is also headed to the Big Ten, where competition will be tougher and the Huskies will suffer a financial loss. , Not getting full conference share.
Grub would be an easy internal promotion. Possible outside names include Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell, Arizona head coach Jed Fish, Kansas head coach Lance Leipold, Texas defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski, BYU head coach Kalani Sitake, Cal head coach Justin Wilcox, San Jose State Head coach Brent Brennan may be involved. Washington State head coach Jake Dickert, former Auburn/Boise State head coach Brian Harsin and New Mexico head coach Bronco Mendenhall.
But new athletic director Troy Dannen just arrived in Seattle from Tulane in October, meaning the search could go in a number of directions.
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(Photo: Alika Jenner/Getty Images)
