“You don’t know what it takes to win these kinds of games, and you just try to be everyone’s buddy-buddy. What does that get you? It gets you beat by Vandy on the road.” Damien Harris’s, the former Alabama running back’s, take wasn’t even harsh to begin with; it just signified the gap between Kalen DeBoer and Nick Saban’s coaching philosophies. While Saban, on one hand, was famously the dictator inside the locker room and was known for his ‘joyless-murderball’. Kalen DeBoer, on the other hand, appears to be the product of the modern era, where professionalism and an emphasis on player well-being remain paramount. However, there is a cost one must pay for both approaches.

The loss against Vanderbilt was just the tip of the iceberg since Bama last year finished 9-4. Something below par, as per Saban’s standards. There were even accusations of indiscipline within the team. For instance, we saw that in the Tennessee game when an 11th-ranked Tennessee went on to hand a 52-19 upset and later even made it to the playoffs, unlike Bama. The question is: Was the 2024 season a rare nightmare that has passed, or will Alabama fans have to settle for fewer expectations?

Let’s look at Nick Saban’s approach, which always prioritized the team first and a disciplined mentality. The practices were grueling with full pads that had a ‘plain-Jane’ approach. It was a philosophy where players with high character were prioritized, and the team culture automatically produced leaders who could produce those clutch moments. The legendary head coach was so obsessed with winning that he always played his key players even against FCS opponents and would even rip into reporters for suggesting that he rest the key players. One of the former Alabama offensive tackles described just how intense Saban’s tenure was for players.

JC Latham, the former Alabama OT, who played under Saban from 2021 to 2023 and was the first-round pick in the 2024 draft, provided the almost brutal aspect of Saban’s player management. “Saban was like a real hard hat. I played through a broken toe, someone else played through a broken hand like and it’s like you’re putting your body and your career on the line for your brothers, and you had no issue doing that over there, you know. But at the end of the day, you were kind of shaving off a little of your game and your play because you’re playing through injury,” said Latham on the May 27th Episode of ‘Bussin’ with Boys’. 

Well, the mentality might not be quite player-friendly, but it produced results and 6 national championships. Moreover, Saban always echoed his philosophy of ‘murderball’ even in media, famously echoing, “football is not designed for amusement,” showcasing his winning mentality. In short, Nick Saban instilled an authoritative mentality that clearly defined the order of preference, making everyone aware of their position. Kalen DeBoer, on the other hand, is starkly different, and it may not be a bad thing.

Kalen DeBoer’s player management philosophy is beginning to reap its rewards?

Nick Saban won those national titles in the era when NIL wasn’t there, and players didn’t change colleges on a whim. Ask yourself how many titles Saban could have won if these changes were there for him to navigate. It’s not that he wouldn’t have won, but it would be incredibly difficult to replicate those wins year after year. Kalen DeBoer’s leaned back and more open-door philosophy works perfectly fine in today’s era of college football.

Even JC Latham acknowledged the professionalism that DeBoer has brought to the team and how player management has been a priority for the former Washington head coach. “What DeBoer is doing over there, I mean, I love it. I’m all for it. He’s running it a lot more professionally.” The former Bama OT also recounted how players wouldn’t get off-days before games, but now with DeBoer, the whole week’s schedule is designed to minimize overload.

Latham recounted meeting Bama players playing under DeBoer and what their experience was at Bama under DeBoer. “We’re going to have Sunday off. Monday’s going to be a walk-through. We’re going to go hard on Tuesday and Wednesday. Thursday is going to be a light day, and Friday’s going to be a walk-through. Like, guys were kind of caught up. I mean, I saw guys wearing long sleeves.” Wearing long sleeves? Well, that was blasphemy if you were under Saban, since he prioritized a strict dress code. But now?

Now the players even play music during practices and get a hands-on treatment with their new head coach. CJ Dippre, the Bama tight-end who played both for Saban and DeBoer, described the stark difference. “We played music during practice, and you can wear sleeves if you want to wear sleeves, just little things… If you want to go out there with sleeves on or go out there with white cleats on or something like that, it’s kind of if you’re feeling better and playing better, he let that go…”

The tight end even described DeBoer’s open-door policy, unlike Saban, who wasn’t much around due to other commitments. “(DeBoer) had his door opened a lot more.” What this means is that, at least, DeBoer did impress players with his management and planning, and that goes a long way. As far as the results are concerned, it was just his first season, and we will see much better performances, hopefully in 2025, from Alabama.