6 Uninterrupted Minutes in the Pregame World of Kalen Deboer

The Husky coach rarely has any time for himself, but we caught a glimpse of him briefly escaping.

SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Kalen DeBoer answers to more than 100 University of Washington football players, 10 assistant coaches, another 40 on his support staff, recruits, donors, media members, fans and his athletic director.

It's difficult for this Husky football coach — the 30th in school history and the one who's off to the fastest start — to find any time for himself, to reflect, to have a chance to exhale. 

Yet on Thursday night at the Alamodome, we saw DeBoer escape for just a few moments at the 30th Alamo Bowl before diving in against the Texas Longhorns and guiding his team to a 27-20 victory.

At 5:48 p.m. CT, or just over two hours before kickoff, the Husky coach emerged alone from a stadium tunnel while players from both teams, though just kickers and quarterbacks for the most part, went through their various warm-up drills.

DeBoer, dressed casually in a black athletic top and black jeans, immediately began looking around, up at the jumbotron and over at the bench, checking every little detail as he slowly strode up the sideline.

He walked past recruiting coordinator Courtney Morgan, who on the field and engaged in a lively conversation with two people. 

DeBoer wandered the length of the field, to the opposite end zone, and no one tried to engage him. They just left him alone, him and his thoughts.

Kalen DeBoer has a few minutes to himself before the Alamo Bowl begins / UW

For a few minutes, the UW coach stood on the "N" in the painted-on Washington name on the stadium floor, directly behind redshirt freshman quarterback Sam Huard, who was busy doing a series of drills, but they didn't speak.

DeBoer checked his phone, then walked to the 5-yard line and stopped once more. He crossed his arms, then stuck his hands in his pockets. He began walking again to the 50, where he paused once more, as the Texas band came into the stadium and his private time was nearly over.

This coach wound up with all of six minutes to himself before someone wanted him, needed his time, sought his attention.

In succession, DeBoer chatted briefly with his co-defensive coordinator Chuck Morrell near the midfield stripe; made his way down the sideline and slapped hands around the 30 with injured Husky redshirt freshman wide receiver Jackson Girouard, who was carrying crutches around rather than using them; and the coach held a quick conversation with his director of football operations Deborah Goldstein in the other end zone.

At 5:57, nine minutes after beginning his Alamo Bowl inspection and taking his pregame stroll, DeBoer disappeared up the tunnel, where his world would only get more complicated before it calmed down well after midnight as he savored a bowl game victory. 

Apparently this is how college football genius works. 

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