Washington Issues Statement After Kalen DeBoer Leaves for Alabama: ‘We Are Disappointed’

The Huskies athletic department responded to the coach heading to Tuscaloosa.

Alabama didn’t wait long to find its replacement for legendary coach Nick Saban, as the Crimson Tide looked to the Pacific Northwest and officially hired Washington’s Kalen DeBoer on Friday.

DeBoer departs the Huskies after just two seasons with the program. Shortly after the news was announced, the Washington athletic department released a statement on the coach’s decision.

“Kalen DeBoer led a remarkable run for UW Football and showed the world that we are capable of competing at the very highest level,” university president Ana Mari Cauce said in a statement. “We are disappointed that he chose to leave, but he has left us a strong foundation to build on, both on and off the field, and we wish him the best of luck at Alabama.”

DeBoer, hired in November 2021, guided the Huskies to an 11–2 record last season and a perfect 14–0 start in ‘23 before falling to Michigan in the national championship.

The 49-year-old heads to Tuscaloosa with just four seasons as an FBS head coach under his belt—two at Fresno State and two at Washington—along with a decorated career as an FBS coordinator and three NAIA championships at the University of Sioux Falls.

“DeBoer has been an outstanding leader of our football program and what he accomplished in two seasons on Montlake will forever be a part of our storied history,” Huskies athletic director Troy Dannen said in a statement. “We are sad to see him leave and we did all that we could to keep Kalen at UW. 

“But ultimately, he made a decision that was in the best interests of his family and furthered his professional goals.”

Washington will begin its search for a new head coach as the program joins the Big Ten in 2024.