Local media predicts how long the coach will stay with the Crimson Tide.
Kalen DeBoer had been on the job as Alabama’s football coach for exactly 11 days when he found out how long it would last.
He has four years.
At least that is the amount of time Clay Travis grants him. Travis is a self-made Southern mouthpiece who may be described as a shock jock.
He has previously written for Deadspin and Fanhouse, had a sports radio talk show, and started and manages his own website, Outkickthecoverage.com.
To summarize, he’s a guy with a lot of wacky beliefs, and his 1 million YouTube fans seem to believe them.
On Tuesday, Travis was asked if the new Crimson Tide football coach will instill terror in his opponents, as Nick Saban did during his 17 seasons in Tuscaloosa.
“Zero. “That is the answer because Kalen DeBoer will be fired in about four years,” Travis stated unequivocally on a chat show. “Alabama fans will have completely ridiculous expectations. What I believe Alabama supporters will see, and many of them previously understood but are seeing it more clearly now, is that Alabama did not have a dynasty; Nick Saban did.
While DeBoer couldn’t have found a bigger supporter in Seattle than the popular sports radio host who doesn’t hide the fact he’s a self-avowed Husky fan, the corresponding Southern voice with a long reach already is writing DeBoer’s epitaph before the man coaches his first game.
Welcome to Alabama.
Travis is not alone in taking a few pot shots at the new guy in charge of the Crimson Tide. Within the fan base, plenty of skeptics have emerged to nitpick DeBoer, though not with the full-on fury of Travis.
One social-media poster identified as Jackson didn’t predict the coach’s demise, just when things will begin to turn sour for him.
“A few de-commitments have hurt, but Bama will still be a top 5 or 10 talented roster and DeBoer took Washington to the championship game last year with one-tenth the talent. Yes, Bama fans won’t know how to handle being just a normal good team instead of a dynasty. They’re going to lose two or three games this year and DeBoer will be instantly on the hot seat.”
A growing complaint for the new Crimson Tide coach is he doesn’t have a Southern background, nor any experience in the Southeastern Conference, and that will hurt him and his ability to recruit at a high level.
“He doesn’t seem to enjoy recruiting,” one critic said with a whine.
DeBoer also was asked about bringing multiple Husky players or recruits recently to Alabama and gaining commitments, as if he might be better off looking somewhere else.
The coach had to explain himself, that insider knowledge goes a long way.
“I want nothing but the places I’ve invested a lot of time in to be successful in the future — that’s Washington, Fresno State — and those places are special places,” he said. “You want to be part of the legacy looking back that you continue to build on. The people after you, they may be even better than when you were there. There was a few guys in the portal that if they’re gonna go anywhere other than Washington, I certainly want to have them here because I trust and believe in them.”
So it’s been a fantastic two weeks for Kalen DeBoer, who is now seeking to establish a Southern legacy. Remember, he sought this coaching job, where they will put you through the ringer on everything football-related at any moment.
Twenty-one years ago, not everyone wanted Washington State’s Mike Price to coach at Alabama, and look what happened – he was fired without even coaching a game. It happened after a donor outing that included a purported trip to a strip bar and other alleged shady behavior by a high-profile coach. We’re still waiting for the film to be created that explains how everything came down to putting him in a compromising position.
Following a football legend like Nick Saban is one thing, but dealing with all of the crazies who deconstruct Alabama football for no apparent reason will continue to be eye-opening for him.
At least DeBoer knows how long his plumbing job will last.
Go to si.com/college/washington to read the most recent Inside the Huskies stories as they are published. Not every story is shared on the fan sites.
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