The Alabama Crimson Tide worked fast to find their new head coach after Nick Saban announced his retirement from coaching on Wednesday. A report from 247Sports revealed that Alabama told their team that they hoped to hire a new head coach within 72 hours. After Oregon's Dan Lanning, Texas' Steve Sarkisian, and Florida State's Mike Norvell all informed they were staying at their respective schools, the Crimson Tide still landed a huge name to lead their program for years to come.
ESPN's Mark Schlabach and Chris Low reported that Washington Huskies head coach Kalen DeBoer is in negotiations with Alabama to replace Saban. ESPN's Pete Thamel reported later on that DeBoer had informed Washington officials that he was accepting the head coaching job at Alabama.
Sources: Kalen DeBoer has informed Washington officials he's taking the job at Alabama. He's expected to tell his team soon.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) January 12, 2024
Even though Lanning was the reported top target and Alabama missed out, DeBoer is no consolation prize. He has had success on every team he has been a part of. Whether that's at Division II's Sioux Falls, Fresno State, or Washington. After helping Washington conquer the Pac-12 in its final season, DeBoer will now jump to the SEC, which is only getting tougher.
So, what does Alabama's schedule look like in 2024 with DeBoer leading the way?
What Alabama's 2024 schedule looks like in Kalen DeBoer's first year
- Saturday, Aug. 31: vs. Western Kentucky
- Saturday, Sept. 7: vs. South Florida
- Saturday, Sept. 14: at Wisconsin
- Saturday, Sept. 28: vs. Georgia
- Saturday, Oct. 5: at Vanderbilt
- Saturday, Oct. 12: vs. South Carolina
- Saturday, Oct. 19: at Tennessee
- Saturday, Oct. 26: vs. Missouri
- Saturday, Nov. 9: at LSU
- Saturday, Nov. 16: vs. Mercer
- Saturday, Nov. 23: at Oklahoma
- Saturday, Nov. 30: vs. Auburn
DeBoer's first game will come against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. And it will be at home at Bryant-Denny Stadium, so DeBoer will get acclimated to the Crimson Tide fanbase very quickly.
Alabama will have a bye after their third game of the season against Wisconsin but will have a massive matchup against the Georgia Bulldogs. This will be a huge test for DeBoer, considering how great Georgia has been over the years due in part to Kirby Smart's recruiting. He will have huge expectations to follow, considering Saban led Alabama to a win over Georgia in the SEC Championship Game.
There will be a three-game stretch that will be a bit tough for the Crimson Tide as they face Tennessee, Missouri, and LSU, all in that order. All three of those teams were in the AP Top 25 after the conference championship games this past season.
The final two games of the season will come against Oklahoma, the SEC's new team, and Auburn in the annual Iron Bowl.
DeBoer's first year won't be easy on paper. But, he did help build a great team at Washington, who beat a variety of tough teams this past season, such as Oregon (twice), Oregon State, Utah, and Texas. First things first, let's see what kind of team DeBoer can assemble ahead of the 2024 campaign.