Washington players were blindsided by the sudden departure of coach Kalen DeBoer, who accepted the coaching job at Alabama not even one week after the Huskies were defeated by Michigan in the College Football Playoff national championship game.
DeBoer, who spent two seasons with the Huskies, was presented with a major opportunity in Tuscaloosa after the retirement of legendary coach Nick Saban. Things moved quickly, as DeBoer seized the opportunity shortly after Washington athletic director Troy Dannen met with him to discuss a new contract Friday morning.
DeBoer informed Huskies players that he was leaving for Alabama in a team meeting on Friday afternoon. Later that day, Washington cornerback Elijah Jackson went on Instagram Live to explain how shocked he and his teammates were by the sudden move. Here’s video of Jackson, courtesy of Emerald City Sporting News on X, formerly Twitter.
