In Kalen DeBoer’s first year, the Alabama Crimson Tide finished 9-4, the program’s first season without double-digit wins since Nick Saban’s 2007 debut. Now entering his second year, DeBoer has something Saban didn’t back then: a foundation. With a year of transition behind them, the Tide could bounce back.
Nick Saban Says Alabama Looks ‘A Lot More Settled’ Entering Year 2 with Kalen DeBoer
Saban consistently avoided discussing expectations or hypotheticals throughout his coaching career at Alabama or previous stops.
That stance didn’t change on Wednesday, May 14, during an appearance at the Regions Tradition Celebrity Pro-Am golf tournament at Greystone in Hoover. Saban sidestepped the question when asked about his outlook for DeBoer heading into his second season with the Crimson Tide.
Beginning at the 2:30-minute mark in the video, he acknowledged that the transition to new leadership last season was a tough adjustment for everyone involved in the program.
“You know, it was a difficult transition with the number of players that moved, new system, new people, you know. Players in the organizations had to make adjustments,” Saban said. “I would say that everybody’s probably a lot more settled in this year.”
DeBoer’s first season in Tuscaloosa had its ups and downs, but the highs were undeniable. Alabama finished 9-4, highlighted by a dramatic upset over No. 1 Georgia at Bryant-Denny Stadium, a fifth consecutive Iron Bowl victory over Auburn, and a dominant dismantling of LSU in Baton Rouge.
KEEP READING: ‘Go With the Veteran’ — Alabama HC Kalen DeBoer Gives Ty Simpson the Early QB1 Nod
Now, the Crimson Tide turn the page to 2025, opening the season with a marquee showdown against Florida State on Aug. 30 at Doak Campbell Stadium. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. CT, and ABC will cover the game nationally.
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