Kalen DeBoer Shares His Philosophy on Losing

In the last nine seasons as a head coach, DeBoer has lost 12 total games.

Jul 17, 2024; Dallas, TX, USA; Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer speaking at Omni Dallas Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Brett Patzke-USA TODAY Sports / Brett Patzke-USA TODAY Sports

New Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer hasn't lost very often over the last decade.

In nine seasons as a head coach, DeBoer accumulated a record of 104-12, which includes a 25-3 record in his previous stop with the Washington Huskies and three NAIA National Championships at Sioux Falls.

DeBoer's 12th loss came at the hands of Michigan in the College Football Playoff National Championship this past January, but his efforts in leading Washington to that stage helped him win the AP College Football Coach of the Year award.

Nevertheless, DeBoer explained during an interview at 2024 SEC Media Days on Wednesday how he handles a loss, with recently retired, seven-time National Champion (six with Alabama) head coach Nick Saban sharing the same desk.

"Coach (Saban) has been in the same boat," DeBoer said. "It drives you nuts. I can pretty much remember most games but the ones I really remember are those 12 losses. I had someone ask me a year ago in an interview, 11 at the time, I could remember exactly what the point differential was, the key moments, those are the ones that drive you crazy."

Obviously, every coach goes into Saturday with the goal of winning the game ahead, meaning a speech in the locker room after a loss isn't exactly pre-written. DeBoer emphasized this too.

"Those are the hardest talks," DeBoer said. "You don't really think in that way about what that talks to be in the anticipation of losing a game. Just understanding that everything happens and it's your ability to respond that always matters and that will be important for us."

Alabama's first year without Nick Saban has given the college football world an excuse to lower their expectations for the Crimson Tide. Alabama still has a very good chance of making the College Football Playoff due to the new 12-team format, but even Saban didn't have the Tide making the SEC Championship game in a prediction he made recently.

Fun fact: besides the incoming freshmen and Michigan transfer defensive back Keon Sabb, every player on Alabama's roster lost at least one game last season. Like all coaches, DeBoer isn't planning to lose this season, but he's hoping to use the past obstacles that the team has endured to create multiple positive assets in each player, which should result in victories in 2024.

"Pretty much 99 percent of teams across the country are going to go through some adversity in some form or fashion, if not 100 percent of them," DeBoer said. "It might not be things you see on Saturdays, it might be behind the scenes, but we have to continue to build that resiliency, the toughness that we need and the togetherness that's important for us to win at a high level."