A calming presence and a live wire.
Schools in college football need both personalities on the field and coaching staffs to win a national championship.
The University of Alabama had that combination for the majority of Nick Saban’s tenure. Saban was the live wire, while Lane Kiffin and Steve Sarkisian were more of the calming presence for the Crimson Tide’s national championships in 2015 and 2020.
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One could argue that Saban, Kirby Smart, and Jeremy Pruitt were all live wires for the national titles in 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, and 2017, but Pruitt may have been slightly calmer than Saban and Smart. Anyway, the best teams at Alabama have come with at least one calming presence and a live wire. The Tide has the pairing again with Kalen DeBoer and Kane Wommack. DeBoer is passionate and he lets it out, but he is more of the steady presence. Wommack, on the other hand, is the guy with hair on fire.
Mar 6, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Defensive coordinator Kane Wommack gives directions during practice of the Alabama Crimson Tide football team Wednesday.
Wommack is fiery, especially when it comes to chewing out players and demanding excellence.
He has a Will Muschamp approach, but players love him for it. DeBoer balances Wommack out with his calm demeanor, getting everyone to focus on the details of being elite. Wommack explained Tuesday about how special it is to have his personality blend with DeBoer’s.
“In the midst of chaos or adversity… I’ve seen how his calming presence transcends to the rest of the football team.”
Alabama DC Kane Wommack spoke on Kalen DeBoer’s coaching style and how it uplifts everyone around him. pic.twitter.com/akPCGBPqPx
— Touchdown Alabama (@TDAlabamaMag) August 7, 2024
“I think probably one of the greatest things about Coach DeBoer is that it’s never too high or too low,” Wommack said.
“In the midst of chaos or adversity … I have been in the foxhole with him, and I’ve seen how his calming presence transcends to the rest of the football team. I would be more of the yin to his yang. I am a little more, from an energy standpoint, I’m more of a yeller out there. I am going to demand on a different level, and I think you have to have a great combination.”
Wommack mentioned the best programs have coaches with different personalities. This group has a great mixture of calm teachers and animated guys. Wommack, JaMarcus Shephard, Freddie Roach, and Chris Kapilovic are animated guys, while DeBoer, Robert Gillespie, Maurice Gillespie, Bryan Ellis, and Colin Hitschler are more calm teachers. Christian Robinson, Alabama’s outside linebackers coach, is a little of both.
Alabama has a winning duo with DeBoer and Wommack together.
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Stephen M. Smith is the senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
