Nick Saban offered his endorsement for new Alabama football coach Kalen DeBoer, calling the former Washington coach "an outstanding choice to lead this program." Alabama announced the hiring of DeBoer on Friday after Saban's retirement earlier in the week.
"He has a proven track record of success and is one of the brightest football minds," Saban said in a statement released by Alabama. "Coach DeBoer has an excellent understanding of what it takes to be a successful head coach, whether it's coaching, recruiting, developing players or building a culture."
DeBoer posted a 25-3 record in two seasons at Washington and is 104-12 as a head coach across stops at Sioux Falls, Fresno State and UW.
DeBoer, 49, has never coached in the SEC. However, when Saban was hired by LSU in 2000 at age 48, he also had never coached in the league. Saban retired as the sport's all-time leader in national championships with seven.
"He has done a fantastic job at every stop of his coaching career, and I am excited to see what he will be able to accomplish in Tuscaloosa," Saban said. "(Wife) Terry and I will be here to support Coach DeBoer and his family with anything they need."
Saban attempted to hire Washington offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb to fill the same position on Alabama's staff last offseason. Though Grubb opted to stay put with the Huskies, Saban's pursuit of Grubb, who has a deep background with DeBoer, suggested that Saban respected DeBoer's offensive philosophy.
Though Saban and DeBoer never coached against each other in a head coaching matchup, DeBoer was the offensive coordinator for Fresno State in 2017 when the Crimson Tide beat the Bulldogs 41-10. Alabama went on to win the national championship that season.
