Does Kalen DeBoer deserve all the hate he’s getting after the shocking Vanderbilt loss? But as retired CFB GOAT coach Nick Saban said, losing is essential to make a team grow. And the hate that’s thrown on the new Alabama HC? Another former Alabama HC thinks fans need to chill and show support during these tough times. 

Former Alabama HC Billy Curry appeared in a YouTube video on The Bama Standard Network on October 12 to address the Roll Tide fan base after the humiliating loss. He appealed to the fans bringing out examples of the early days of Coach Bryant and Nick Saban at Alabama that every coach faces rough days. After slamming the furious fans’ threats on Kalen DeBoer, Curry said, “If there’s a sort of consensus that we’re gonna back this guy and give him a chance, I think that would be a very wise thing to do.”

This resonates with Nick Saban’s message for Georgia HC Kirby Smart when the Bulldogs lost to Alabama in Week 4. The retired CFB GOAT coach views losses as a wake-up call to shake the players from their complacency. He told Smart that their early fall to Alabama “might be the best thing that ever happened” to him as losses hurl more meaning to the “focus, attention to detail, and discipline” that a team needs to improve. But Kalen DeBoer didn’t receive any message as such from his successor following their Vanderbilt loss. 

As Saban stated on The Pat McAfee Show, “I didn’t talk to Kalen DeBoer after the game and I didn’t wanna get in the way this time… He’s been doing a good job of getting the right message to the team but everybody in the organization has to reinforce that.” Surely, Kalen DeBoer’s reputation can’t be tainted by one loss. Sure, it may have been an important game with a drastic result as it broke a four-decade winning streak. But let’s give DeBoer a chance. 

Don’t underestimate Kalen DeBoer 

It only takes a person to look at Kalen DeBoer’s records and be convinced that he’s a winner. That’s what Billy Curry did too. He said of the new Crimson Tide coach who’s 4-1 into the season, “If you look at his record, all he’s done is win everywhere he’s been.” Yes, don’t underestimate the former Washington HC who led his team to a National Championship game last season, going 25-3 in his two years with the Huskies. DeBoer also led Sioux Falls to 3 NAIA Championships in five years as the HC. 

Kalen DeBoer began this season in a dominant fashion and even outperformed Nick Saban with a 63-0 blowout win over Western Kentucky. He’s now headed with a 228-95 record across five games. All of their wins have crossed the 40-point score proving their offensive dominance. South Carolina may be coming in as a 21.5-point underdog but let’s not judge too quickly. There have been lots of upset games in the past weeks and only time will tell how Week 7 will unfold.