Talk about big shoes to fill — the Alabama Crimson Tide’s new head coach, Kalen DeBoer, is excellently replacing the legend Nick Saban. And guess what? He did not flinch even for a moment. Instead, he has been honest about his expectations from his debut season in Tuscaloosa.

However, this should not be the case since dark clouds have started appearing over the Crimson Tide’s preseason predictions. But from where is DeBoer getting so much confidence? After all, he’s got Saban on speed dial for when the game plan wobbles as he takes a feather out of the GOAT’s rulebook. 

The Crimson Tide will be taking the field at Bryant-Denny Stadium on August 26, and for the first time, Saban would not be there to lead them out of the tunnel. However, there’s not much to worry about after the hard work that DeBoer has put in to lead Alabama through the final week of their preseason camp. In an interview with Al.com, the new HC hinted at how he is not reaching for the moon but keeping his sights on the next block. This defines him as a success in his debut season driving the Alabama bus: “I’ve gotten that question each and every time I take over a program, and it’s never gonna be about a win total.”  

As DeBoer hits the stadium for their season-opener against Western Kentucky, it would be his first time on Alabama’s side. However, it won’t be his first coaching stint in the stadium. In 2017, he visited Tuscaloosa as the offensive coordinator for Fresno State. This further gives DeBoer a grounding experience as he focuses more on the moment, “Just a learning moment that we all have that we can come together and utilize.” His special trick keeps him from zoning out, which had to be the Nick Saban factor. Back in May, during a press meeting, DeBoer assured us that he was open to the connection that his players would have with the GOAT. This inspired the new HC to take a feather out of Saban’s playbook.

Tradition meets new beginnings under DeBoer

While it is impossible to replace Saban, DeBoer is taking baby steps toward filling his shoes. And it’s evident from his blueprint that he is trying every possible way to create an identity for himself in Tuscaloosa. But he made it a point to leave a Saban touch for the 2024 season during the preseason fall camp.

That said, DeBoer continues with the tradition that has been there in the Crimson Tide even before Saban stepped in and was carried forward by the GOAT. He took on the classic custom of having newbies learn the fight song to infuse a “bring it on” attitude within them. Touchdown Alabama came up with a post on how their tradition will live on: “It was a tradition before Nick Saban, during the Saban era, and now Kalen DeBoer keeps it going. Alabama freshmen players learn the Crimson Tide fight song in fall camp.”   

The University of Alabama’s fight song is aptly named “Yea, Alabama.” For the 2024 season, DeBoer will have 38 freshman players to count on. Now we get to watch if the new coach can handle the heat after 17 seasons of Saban’s stormy dominance.