The Alabama Crimson Tide and Nick Saban will always be synonymous.
Saban, arguably the best coach in college football history, stunned the college football world by announcing his retirement after the 2023 season.
The Alabama coaching position, arguably the best in college football, is an intriguing prospect. Tuscaloosa has produced some of the most successful coaches in the sport’s history, but it also creates a pressure cooker for whoever wins the chance to succeed Saban. Between Gene Stallings’ lone national championship in 1992 and Saban’s arrival in 2007, Alabama had nearly as many losing seasons (four) as 10-win seasons (five).
After 17 seasons leading the Tide program, leaving some legendary shoes to fill in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Nick Saban went 292-71-1 overall as a head football coach throughout his career including an absurd 201-29 at Alabama with six national championships. The search for his replacement now begins, and a successor is was reported to be named soon.
Now it’s up to former Washington Huskies head coach Kalen DeBoer — who has had a bit of a roller coaster securing his new staff — to pick up where Saban left off leading the Alabama Crimson Tide.
The Washington Huskies caught the college football world off guard in a major way in 2023, cruising through an ultra-competitive PAC-12 in its final year as a conference, finishing with an undefeated regular season and reaching the College Football Championship.
While the Huskies were unable to stay up with the Michigan Wolverines and finally fell in the championship game, it is evident that Kalen Kalen DeBoer has rejuvenated a program and understands how to win.
DeBoer’s career has been marked by continuous and rapid success, making him an ideal contender to succeed Nick Saban as head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide.
DeBoer, 48, came to Montlake from Fresno State, where he led the Bulldogs to a 9-3 regular-season record in his second year of coaching.
In his first year at UW, he guided the Huskies to an overall record of 11-2, including a 3-0 record against ranked opponents and a Valero Alamo Bowl victory over Texas. His Washington Huskies swept their three Northwest opponents, finished tied for second in the Pac-12, and he was voted Pac-12 Co-Coach of the Year. He was also named Associated Press Pac-12 Coach of the Year, and at the 88th annual Seattle Sports Star of the Year Awards in February 2023, he received the inaugural Seattle Sports Leader of the Year award.
Former Alabama Crimson Tide Coach Nick Saban Says He Will Not Return To Coaching
At this weekend’s Waste Management Open in Phoenix, Saban was asked about a possible comeback to teaching. To which he said, “If I was going to coach, I’d stay at Alabama forever.”
Meanwhile, the former Tide coach has been honing his golf skills.
“It’s one thing to play in front of 100,000 people and know what you’re doing. “It’s different to play in front of a crowd when you’re not sure what you’re doing,” Nick Saban told NBC Sports.
“It’s fun, though. This is an excellent event. It’s amazing to be here. My golf skills are good. It is always a struggle. You just have to keep striving to overcome the obstacles you face in every sport. “Playing any sport teaches you a great lesson,” he said.
If there is one silver lining for Alabama Crimson Tide supporters in Tuscaloosa, it is that they will not have to wait long to watch Saban on television. He will join ESPN’s “College GameDay” crew for the upcoming season.
Leave a Reply