Kalen DeBoer comes across as a salt-of-the-earth South Dakotan, even-keel and understated in demeanor. But the move he made Friday reveals a man with the self-confidence of Tom Cruise in a starring role.
The 49-year-old DeBoer is willing to leave the warm embrace of the Washington Huskies, where he just authored one of the finest seasons in school history and could probably be Coach For Life, or something near it. He chose instead to run toward what might be the most daunting task in college football history.
DeBoer is replacing seven-time national champion Nick Saban, a massive undertaking for anyone—let alone a guy who has no history with the school or the region. He is moving from a passionate but rational fan base to one that is … unacquainted with rationality. He is relocating to Alabama and the Southeastern Conference, terra incognita for a coach who has spent his life in the West and Midwest. The only game he appears to have been part of in the state of Alabama was a 41–10 loss to the Crimson Tide as the offensive coordinator at Fresno State in 2017.
