Alabama is known for their winning culture under Nick Saban who served as the HC for the Crimson Tides for 17 seasons winning them six championships. So the Alabama fan base was deeply shaken when the 72-year-old announced his sudden retirement in January 2024. And it’s not just the fans but the players themselves who ran helter-skelter without their former coach. 

OT Kadyn Proctor joined Saban’s program in 2023 and is one of the many players who entered the transfer portal following his retirement news and former Washington HC Kalen DeBoer stepping into his shoes. The 6’7, 360-pounder hopped over the fence to see what was up only to realize he just left behind the side that was dear to him. See Alabama’s reaction when he came back.

Alabama welcomes Kadyn Proctor without grudges

Alabama GM Courtney Morgan got in touch with 247Sports on YouTube to discuss how he felt about OT Kadyn Proctor for a brief period before getting him back. The 6’7, 360-pounder hopped over the fence to see what was up only to realize he just left behind the side that was dear to him. But Morgan understands his “emotional decision” amidst Nick Saban’s retirement and welcomes Proctor back with open arms calling his decision to come back “monumental.” As for Alabama under their new HC Kalen DeBoer, he said, “Alabama is still a special place with or without Coach. Saban is still the brand. Alabama is still a championship program and it takes you some time to leave and realize the grass is not greener.”

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Kadyn Proctor was a force last season in Alabama under Saban who said of him, “He’s shown me he’s big, and he’s made a lot of progress. He’s improved a lot.” He started all 14 games at left tackle and was selected to the All-SEC Freshman Team by the conference coaches. But with the news of Saban’s retirement, he hit the transfer portal in January 2024 and committed to Iowa before returning to Alabama in April. 

Kalen DeBoer is the perfect Saban replacement 

Alabama attracts HCs with outstanding coaching records. While it’s still nowhere near Saban’s win-loss career record at 291-71, Kalen DeBoer is on a steady climb posting a record of 104-12 as a head coach. So, people just might need to wait for DeBoer to execute his magic on the field before drawing comparisons of him with the former HC. 

The 49-year-old new Alabama coach is aware of the pressure as he takes the reins of one of the winningest college football programs. He told Ryen Russillo, “It’s the challenge that I love, is creating this environment. Creating this culture that brings all these different people together. And it’s a challenge but it’s a lot of fun doing it.” With Proctor back in the team, Alabama’s hope for 2024 looks a tad brighter.