During an appearance on ESPN’s “The Pat McAfee Show” on Friday afternoon, former Alabama Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban talked about the transition for first-year head coach Kalen DeBoer.
Saban joined McAfee from Austin ahead of Saturday’s top-5 showdown between the Georgia Bulldogs and Texas Longhorns. Among other things, Saban remained complimentary of DeBoer and said that the coach had to be himself and do things his own way.
“I do think that this is a tough transition for Kalen, any time you take over a successful program,” Saban said. “I don’t want to be judgmental about what they do because I think he has to do what he does his way. He can’t be me. He can’t try to be somebody that he isn’t.”
DeBoer came to Tuscaloosa after a successful two-year coaching stint in Seattle with the Washington Huskies, a team he led to the College Football Playoff National Championship last season.
Before Washington, DeBoer coached at Fresno State for two seasons (2020-21) and guided the Bulldogs to a 10-win campaign in 2021 and an appearance in the New Mexico Bowl before accepting the Washington job.
Previously, as head coach at Sioux Falls at the NAIA level, DeBoer led the program to three national championships in five seasons from 2005-09.
“I think the guy has been successful, and I think his way will work,” Saban said of DeBoer. “I just think it’s an adjustment for a lot of the fans and the people, but I think he will win them over because he’s a good guy and he’s a good coach, and he’s got a good system and a good organization.
“I’m just trying to be supportive and helpful any way that I can so that he can make a smooth transition.”
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Saban mentioned the transfer portal and the impact it had on Alabama’s roster after his retirement in January.
“I think one thing that doesn’t get acknowledged is the fact that when I retired, there were 26 players that transferred. Nobody talks about that,” Saban said. “(Wide receiver) Isaiah Bond, who is a pretty good player, he would be an impact player if he was still at Alabama, especially with some of the players they have now. Then (offensive tackle Kadyn) Proctor leaves, and then he comes back.
“Caleb Downs. Look, I looked at all the guys in the Draft last year because I did the Draft (for ESPN). He was a freshman, and if he was a junior or senior in the draft, he would’ve been probably the first safety taken in the draft. That’s a pretty significant player. So, they really lost a lot and people don’t talk about that. Now, they got a few guys in, but I do think there is going to be a transition. He’s got to get his people in there and he’ll get the opportunity to recruit them and do it.”
Alabama (5-1 overall, 2-1 SEC) is ranked No. 7 in this week’s US LBM Coaches Poll. The Crimson Tide are in Knoxville this weekend for the annual Third Saturday in October clash with the Tennessee Volunteers. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. The game can be seen on ABC.
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This article originally appeared on Roll Tide Wire: Nick Saban reaffirms support for Kalen DeBoer after recent Alabama struggles
