Kalen DeBoer is looking to escape Nick Saban’s shadow and lead Tide back to playoffs in 2nd season

ATLANTA (AP) – Four years without a national championship feels like a severe drought for veteran Alabama players.

Similarly, one year of missing the College Football Playoff has second-year coach Kalen DeBoer feeling the pressure to restore the Crimson Tide’s status as one of the nation’s top teams in 2025.

When asked Wednesday at the Southeastern Conference media days if a 9-4 finish in his 2024 debut season met the Alabama standard, DeBoer said: “I mean, if you internally ask us, no. We fell short of making the playoffs. It’s as simple as that, right? Giving yourself a chance to go compete for a championship.”

DeBoer’s task is especially difficult because he’s the coach who followed Nick Saban, who led Alabama to its last national championship in 2020. It was Alabama’s sixth championship under Saban since 2009.

Junior offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor said Wednesday the Crimson Tide players have endured a painful wait to reach the standard set by Saban.

“For the whole team honestly we obviously know that we haven’t won a championship in a long time,” Proctor said. “And that’s everybody’s goal at the end of the season.”

Included in Alabama’s 9-4 season under DeBoer was a 5-3 SEC mark that included road losses at Vanderbilt, Tennessee and Oklahoma. Alabama was No. 17 in the final AP Top 25 following a 19-13 loss to Michigan in the ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa, Florida.

DeBoer, who coached the 2023 Washington team to the national championship game, says added familiarity and continuity on his staff are reasons to expect improvement.

Defensive lineman Tim Keenan said another reason the Crimson Tide will be better is players believe in DeBoer. Keenan hinted the shadow of Saban followed DeBoer in 2024.

“It’s definitely changed,” Keenan said. “You definitely see guys definitely bought in. If they’re not here, no knock to them, but everyone who is here now, they believe in the system. They believe in Coach DeBoer.”

Ryan Grubb, who worked on DeBoer’s staff at Washington, was hired as Alabama’s offensive coordinator after one season with the Seattle Seahawks.

Keenan said he respects DeBoer for having the confidence to follow Saban.

“I know a lot of people say they want to do that, but they ain’t got the courage enough to do it,” Keenan said. “So I’m gonna go hard for my coach, always.

“Just, you know it’s Coach Saban, like the greatest coach of all time. The GOAT. You know, greatest of all time. So to take that responsibility, saying. ‘I’m going to take over for him now.’ … I believe in him. And also, I know that God was going to put the right person in the right place at the right time, and he’s in the right place at the right time.”

DeBoer said Alabama “fell short” last season.

“We’ve got to be better in the big moments,” DeBoer said. “We lost some close games last year. We had chances maybe not even in the fourth quarter, but early in the game to separate ourselves or make a play here or there. Whether it was the belief or whether it was the confidence, a lot of that just comes through repetitions. We really had a great offseason understanding where we fell short, why we fell short. Not just the what and the how but the why.

“I’m excited about our guys taking those next steps, understanding when we get in those moments this year, those critical times, how to come through and make the play that’s necessary to go win football games.”