Nick Saban Comments on Hiring of Kalen DeBoer

Alabama's former coach issued his vote of confidence in the Crimson Tide's new head man.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama made the hiring of Kalen DeBoer as its 28th head football coach official on Friday evening, concluding a 2-day search to find the successor of former head coach Nick Saban, who announced his retirement on Wednesday.

Through Alabama football's official social media pages, Saban issued a statement on the Crimson Tide's new hire.

"I want nothing more than to see Alabama football continue to be successful, and Coach DeBoer is an outstanding choice to lead this program," Saban said. "He has a proven track record of success and is one of the brightest football minds. Coach DeBoer has an excellent understanding of what it takes to be a successful head coach, whether it's coaching, recruiting, developing players or building a culture. He has done a fantastic job at every stop of his coaching career, and I am excited to see what he will be able to accomplish in Tuscaloosa. Terry and I will be here to support Coach DeBoer and his family with anything they need."

DeBoer comes to Tuscaloosa after spending two seasons as the head coach at Washington. Across those two seasons, he posted a record of 25-3, winning the PAC-12 Coach of the Year both seasons.

In 2023, he lead the Huskies to a 14-1 record, a PAC-12 Championship, a win over Texas in the semifinals of the College Football Playoff, and a National Championship Game appearance.

He boasts a career record of 104 wins, compared to just 12 losses across three different head coaching stops.

Alabama Football Officially Announces Kalen DeBoer as Head Coach