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Alabama Set to Hire Kalen DeBoer as Head Coach

Originally posted on Georgia Bulldogs on SI
By Jonathan Williams | Last updated Jan 12, 2024 2:35 PM ET

It was announced earlier this week that longtime Alabama head coach Nick Saban was officially retiring, and that immediately got the head coaching search rolling for the Tide. Now just a couple of days after the big news, it looks like Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer is set to take over at Alabama.

DeBoer helped lead the Washington Huskies to their first college football playoff appearance since 2016 this season in just his second year with the program. DeBoer spent time as Fresno State's head coach for two years prior to his stint in Washington. He will finish with an overall record of 25-3 with the Huskies.

At the beginning of the search, all eyes were pointed toward Oregon head coach Dan Lanning being the leading candidate for the position. That was until he announced he would be staying with the Ducks. The same thing occurred on Friday when it was made known that Florida State head coach Mike Norvell would also be staying with his program, he was another name linked to the job.

DeBoer has had a long run of success as a college football coach. He has been able to find success regardless of where he is positioned at, but it was his run at Washington that started to get his name into the spotlight. He may not have been the first option for the Crimson Tide, but he is the name that looks like will be the one to take over at one of the top college football programs in all of the land.

If DeBoer is the name that gets penciled in, he will face off against Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs during his first year at Alabama as the Crimson Tide are set to host Georgia during the 2024 regular season.