Here's Why Kalen DeBoer Isn't Surprised By the Huskies' Success

Past experiences has helped the UW coach learn about building momentum.

Kalen DeBoer was hired as the 30th University of Washington football coach almost two years ago to the day. He was somewhat unknown in his profession coming out of Fresno State, as unknown as say Don James from Kent State was on his Montlake arrival nearly 50 years earlier.

At his introductory news conference, DeBoer spoke about winning right away, but who wouldn't in his position as the new guy?

Later as his first Huskies season approached, a media member casually asked the coach what might be a reasonable expectation for success right off? Seven or eight wins?

It was at that moment that DeBoer uttered what has turned out to be his most propheitc and impactful statement regarding his time as the UW football coach and who he is. 

"I don't know anything other than playing for a championship, I really don't," the coach said, with maybe a few reporters rolling their eyes when hearing that.

Heading into Saturday's game at Oregon State, the fifth-ranked Huskies are 10-0 for just the second time in school history, 21-2 in DeBoer's two seasons and carrying a 17-game winning streak.

Only championships, huh?

This week, DeBoer was asked if someone had told him back then that he'd win 91 percent of his first 23 Husky games, would he have believed it?

"I would have said we probably nailed it," he said jokingly before turning to a serious answer. "I think I shared from all the coaches that I've been with and different places throughout the years, I've learned that anything's possible."

While envisioning success doesn't take much, DeBoer is quick to point out that achieving near unbeatable results requires a lot of dedication and effort.

"Don't set your sights, and it doesn't mean that we're flashing it out there and that we're going to be this and that, and it happens," he said. "It's hard, it's really hard. It's a lot of work. You've got to have some buy-in and have some breaks go your way."

Yet DeBoer had seen the blueprint along the way, in particular his time at Fresno State when he joined Jeff Tedford's new coaching staff as offensive coordinator and shared in the Bulldogs going from 1-11 to 10-4 in 2017 and 12-2 in 2018.

It's nothing short of getting an avalanche going and riding on top of it.

"I guess when I've had times in the years past where we've been part of coming into 1-11 programs, and you can turn it around and go 10-4 and 12-2 the next few years," he said, "you see that and, man, you get the ball rolling, you get the momentum, it's amazing the buy-in and how quickly you can make it happen — and that's really what's happened here the last two years."

 

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