Coach points out mistake Kalen DeBoer made that made it more difficult to keep players from transferring

The Alabama Crimson Tide have lost over 25 players to the NCAA transfer portal this offseason, thanks mostly to the retirement of Nick Saban. 

Key players like safety Caleb Downs, offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor, and 2024 five-star quarterback Julian Sayin are among the players that Alabama's lost to the portal. 

An anonymous FBS coordinator told 247Sports this week that he thinks one reason why Alabama has lost so many players to the portal is because Kalen DeBoer didn't retain enough of Saban's assistants. 

"I'm surprised they did not keep more coaches on staff and I think it would’ve helped the process with some of those better players," said the FBS coordinator. "Alabama will still end up being pretty good because they will still get some very good players, but they are definitely going to take a step back."

According to TuscaloosaNews.com, the only assistant coaches that DeBoer has retained are running backs coach Robert Gillespie and defensive line coach Freddie Roach. 

I'm not sure I agree with that coordinator. Retaining more assistants might have kept a couple of players, at most, from entering the portal. But for the most part, the players that have left made it clear that it's because the greatest head coach of all time is longer in charge of the program. DeBoer could've retained the whole staff (which wouldn't have been wise -- he deserves to hire his own people) and it wouldn't change that Saban is no longer the head coach. 

Alabama sells itself to an extent. But Saban, the best coach the sport has ever seen, was ultimately why some of the top recruits in the nation signed with Alabama in recent years.