Inside The Huskies

Kalen DeBoer Has Changed Washington's Culture

In just two years, the Husky head coach has brought the team closer together than ever before

Roman Tomashoff

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After the train wreck that was the end of the Jimmy Lake era, the Washington football program was in dire need of a culture shift. Heading into his second season, the team received the infusion it needed, and then some, thanks to coach Kalen DeBoer.

One of the first things that showed up in his first year was the way recruits were greeted by the team. During spring practice in 2022, he started a new tradition, having anyone who was taking an unofficial visit get up in front of the team after practice and be introduced by the position coach recruiting him.

In 2023, that tradition changed even more. While wide receivers coach JaMarcus Shephard still gets the honor of introducing his recruits, as he is the ultimate hype man, other position coaches have begun to let recruits introduce themselves before the team greets them with a rousing cheer.

One recruit who got up in front of the team wasn't speaking up enough, and the team told him so, yelling, "Speak up!" until he did, which was met with the loudest cheers of the day. Talking to any recruit, one of the first things they'll tell you about Washington's coaching staff is it makes them feel like family.

It's easy to see why the current roster bought into the coaching staff so quickly even after limited interactions with them. It's also impressive to see transfers like linebacker Ralen Goforth buy in and integrate themselves as quickly as they have.

After every practice, co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach William Inge has his group go through a brief conditioning session. Following Washington's sixth spring practice on Monday, Goforth found a new way to show recruits the culture that DeBoer and his staff have built.

As the linebackers were going through their brief abs workout, Goforth shouted, "Recruits, get in here!" Almost immediately, the four recruits who had been standing next to Inge joined everyone on the ground for the end of the conditioning circuit. 

DeBoer has created a welcoming, inclusive and exciting culture that looks like it's going to continue to bring wins in 2023. If he can make sure success on the field extends to the recruiting trail, he could be on the verge of building a national power on Montlake.

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Roman Tomashoff
ROMAN TOMASHOFF

I've followed the Huskies for my entire life, and to be in a position where I get to cover them full-time is nothing short of an honor. After graduating from Lasell University in 2019, I moved to Seattle to pursue my dream of working in sports media. While writing for the Husky Haul, I also covered local sports for the Everett Daily Herald before the COVID-19 pandemic. After being hired by Realdawg.com in February of 2021, I also transitioned into doing a lot of entertainment writing, as I work on a variety of magazines as a contributing writer for Centennial Media, and have also contributed to Emmy Magazine, as well as Walt Disney Television Studios. 

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