Alabama fans have never cared much for his analysis, but he may be on to something with this statement.
Danny Kannell of CBS Sports College Football highlighted what may be the biggest issue for the University of Alabama football program right now under Kalen DeBoer. The Crimson Tide is 5-1, but it does not look like one of the best teams in the nation.
RELATED: What did we learn about Alabama after its close victory over South Carolina?
Alabama has played poorly to say the least since the second half versus Georgia.
It got dominated by Vanderbilt and almost suffered a second straight loss to South Carolina.
Domani Jackson, a transfer cornerback from the University of Southern California, sealed the victory for the Tide with a late interception.
The schedule gets tougher from here for Alabama as it will travel to Neyland Stadium to face the Tennessee Volunteers in Knoxville, Tenn.
Kalen DeBoer is a nice coach, but is he too nice for Alabama’s program?
Kannell said ‘players can walk all over you’ with the culture DeBoer has created in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
“Sometimes when you have a player-friendly coach, players can walk all over you.”@dannykanell on Kalen DeBoer and the culture at Alabama. pic.twitter.com/ZFToHAh3iN
— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) October 12, 2024
“When Kalen DeBoer took over, he is the polar opposite of what Nick Saban is,” Kannell said. “He is player-friendly, they have music at practice, players are putting out tiktoks in the locker room, you are hearing how much fun they are having, and how much more this is an enjoyable experience for them, but when you lose a game like this and it is a letdown game … that was probably for me most impressive what Nick Saban did at ‘Bama. It was not the championships, it was they never had that game where you came in and you were not as focused. They were always super, super dialed in. I think it is natural when you have a player-friendly coach and Kalen DeBoer is a great coach. … It does not mean you can’t win championships like this, but I think it is part of the learning curve and adjustment process. Someone when you have a player-friendly coach, players can walk all over you.”
Kannell made this statement after the loss to Vanderbilt that the idea is to balance being player-friendly, while still holding players accountable to a standard of excellence. This is the challenge DeBoer has right now after losing to the Commodores and escaping South Carolina with a win at home. The Southeastern Conference is a different monster, and he is now experiencing it each week. We will see how DeBoer prepares the group for another marquee showdown versus Tennessee on the road.
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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.
