When Kalen DeBoer was introduced as Alabama’s new football coach Saturday, he saved what he felt was the most important part of his 30 minutes at the podium for last.
He knew he would be emotional. The former Washington coach, who led the Huskies to the CFP national championship this past season, was right.
In front of former Alabama coach Nick Saban, Miss Terry, athletic director Greg Byrne and more, DeBoer got teary-eyed, thanking those he left with the Huskies after just two years in Washington.
“I need to thank some people back at Washington,” he began. “It’s a special place to be. It really is. This is one of the few places – maybe the only place – that I would’ve ever left to come coach at.”
DeBoer went 25-3 in two seasons at Washington and has a career record of 104-12 at all levels of college football. He replaces Saban, who won six national titles with the Crimson Tide and seven overall.
“I understand what the football is all about it,” he continued. “Those guys I sat in front of in a room yesterday, I know what they are going through because I saw the same thing less than 24 hours ago.
