Around 8:37 a.m. central time, the Alabama football team entered the Kalen DeBoer era.
At that point on Friday night, just over two days after DeBoer’s predecessor, the illustrious Nick Saban, retired, and hours after news of his hiring surfaced, the 28th head coach of the Crimson Tide made his landing at Tuscaloosa National Airport. Saban famously had a mob expecting him 17 years ago when he took the job.
“ALA-BAMA, ALA-BAMA,” echoed across the hurriedly gathering throng, with smartphone applications registering a 50-degree temperature.
The Washington team’s general manager, Courtney Morgan, together with DeBoer’s wife, Nicole, and their two children, Alexis and Avery, were among the fans waiting for his jet as “Dixieland Delight” hymns played. Greg Byrne, the director of athletics at UA, pulled up and shook hands with the crowd while saying, “Roll Tides.”
Byrne, who supposedly set himself a 72-hour deadline to succeed Saban, made light of his weariness in remarks to reporters. But once DeBoer showed up wearing a grey quarterzip, everyone was grinning. DeBoer spent some time hanging out with the fans before packing up and heading toward school in the rear of a black SUV with Byrne in the driver’s seat.
“Coach DeBoer has shown he is a victor and has led his teams to victories on each of his trips. I recently shared with our squad that we would have a new coach who is not only an excellent teacher with the Xs and Os but also someone who genuinely cares about his players. I personally would want my sons to play for this coach, just as I would have Coach Saban. In a statement issued by the program, Byrne stated, “We got that from Coach DeBoer.”
As players assembled for a required team meeting at 9 p.m., fans and more press cameras eagerly anticipated their arrival at the Mal M. Moore Athletic Facility. DeBoer started his time as the Crimson Tide’s head coach by coming in through a side door in the parking lot.
He will make his public debut on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
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