DeBoer Responds to Tough Questions on Seattle Radio Show

The former Husky football coach was asked if there was any Alabama contact before the CFP title game.

Kalen DeBoer looks on during the national championship game against the Michigan Wolverines in Houston in January, four days before he left the UW for Alabama. / Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports

Two hundred and three days later, Kalen DeBoer finally spoke to Seattle and said goodbye to the University of Washington football program.

Late Tuesday afternoon, the former Husky coach -- who left for Alabama four days after guiding the UW to the CFP national championship game in January -- spent 21 minutes on local KJR radio 93.3 FM mostly answering hard questions sent his way from radio hosts Dave Mahler and Hugh Millen, the latter an ex-Husky quarterback.

Specifically, they asked DeBoer about the timeline of when he learned Alabama coach Nick Saban was retiring and subsequently approached about the job, with some UW fans insistent that this all ithappened before the title game was played.

It was easy to conclude that scenario took place because Saban and DeBoer, as well as several other leading college football coaches, have the same agent in Jimmy Sexton, yet the coach said there was no advance contact.

"Zero percent chance," DeBoer said of having knowledge of the coming vacancy prior to the title game loss to Michigan. "There were no distractions. I've always prided myself on having 100 percent focus, and that's exactly what I and my staff had."

DeBoer maintained that it wasn't until two days after losing to Michigan, on a Wednesday, that Alabama made it known the SEC school wanted to interview him. He met with Crimson Tide officials on Thursday, but said he still didn't receive an offer. On Friday, everything happened real fast for him, an agreement was reached and he was off to Tuscaloosa by private jet.

"This was the only place I would have left Washington for," the coach said of Alabama, citing its long-term football tradition and prestige, the resources made available and the total lack of pro sports to compete with his team.

Asked why he didn't sign a UW contract extendion during the 2023 season, with then athletic director Troy Dannen working aggressively to get him locked in, DeBoer had a simple answer.

"The numbers weren't there," he said.

The only question DeBoer notably sidestepped was why did he play former Husky running back Tybo Rogers in the Sugar Bowl and CFP title game after keeping him out of the Pac-12 championship game with the player facing rape allegations? With Jedd Fisch as coach, Rogers eventually was arrested during spring football and dropped from the team.

"It was important to me to follow the procedures and protocols that were in place and I'm 100 percent confident we did that," he said.

As the interview begin to wind down, DeBoer talked about his daughter, Alexis, having been on the UW campus for a month now as a freshman and a new Husky softball player.

DeBoer said appreciated his two years at Washington, in which he guided the Huskies to a 25-3 record after coming from Fresno State, because it solidified his coaching reputation. He thanked former UW athletic director Jen Cohen for hiring him.

"I appreciate the way she took a chance on me," DeBoer said. "There were questions whether I could do the job at a Power 5 school."

No one has any doubts now.

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