As Bob Dylan once sang, “For the times they are a-changin,” and they most certainly are doing so in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

With the retirement of Nick Saban last week, the Crimson Tide are in the midst of yet another change of staff, only this time it includes their head coach. Washington’s Kalen DeBoer was announced as head coach of the Crimson Tide two days following the announcement of Saban’s retirement and has already expressed his confidence and his desire to continue the tradition of excellence that the Tide’s predecessor left behind in his introductory press conference.

“...I'm going to ask him that he shows up and makes sure he gives me at least one thing everyday. I'm sure he's going to have 10. I'm going to be good with that. But at least one thing that he sees that we can get better at."

DeBoer has a long history of winning and taking over for some of the best college coaches in the nation. In 2005, he took over as then NAIA powerhouse Sioux Falls, led by the winning coach in school history, the late Bob Young, and led them to three national championships in his last four years.

After offensive coordinator stints at Southern Illinois, Eastern Michigan, Fresno State, and Indiana, he returned to Fresno, California to take over for Jeff Tedford and only had a Top 15 offense in 2021.

This is nothing new that Kalen DeBoer has done during his coaching career, but with a fanbase that bleeds crimson and and white, there is obviously added pressure to the 49 year old who’s inheriting a legendary program that is waiting for championship  #19.