The University of Alabama will begin spring football practice in March and A-Day is on Saturday, April 13.
Kalen DeBoer is ready to put his stamp on things as the Crimson Tide’s head coach, but he’s at Reese’s Senior Bowl practice (Mobile, Ala.) watching Michael Penix Jr. and others he coached increased their NFL Draft potential.
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DeBoer, 49, comes over from Washington after posting a 25-3 record in two seasons — including 14 victories, a Pac-12 Championship, and a berth in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game in 2023. He got an opportunity to speak to several media reporters at the Senior Bowl to discuss how he is going to uphold the high standards for Alabama football.
“Everybody understands there’s only one Nick Saban, there’s different ways of doing it to be successful. We want to uphold the traditions and those things that make this place special.”
Alabama HC Kalen DeBoer on upholding the standards and expectations in Tide program pic.twitter.com/tKugbaB0KV
— Simone Eli (@SimoneEli_TV) January 31, 2024
“You still hold the standards that are in place,” DeBoer said about navigating the Crimson Tide. “The expectations are in line with what I want to do and what’s happened here in this program for a long time now under Coach Saban. I think everyone understands there is only one Coach Saban, and there are different ways of doing it to be successful. We want to uphold those traditions and those things that have made this place special, but everyone will have their own fingerprints on it.”
DeBoer mentioned how the offense and defense will have a new twist, but he still wants to guide the program to conference championships and national championships as Saban’s successor.
He’s prepared to take this core group and make things special with it.
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Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
