ESPN grades Alabama’s decision to hire Kalen DeBoer as head coach

Replacing Nick Saban was never going to be an easy task, but Alabama Athletics Director Greg Byrne worked swiftly and diligently when hiring new Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer.

In such an unprecedented situation, how did Alabama do? ESPN recently graded every new coaching hire (subscription required), including the Tide’s.

Adam Rittenberg of ESPN gave the hire an A- and explained his reasoning.

When explaining why Alabama is a good fit for DeBoer, Rittenberg stated:

“DeBoer is a proven coach who has quickly shown he can win at the highest level of college football. Although he has only three total seasons in the Power 5 — two at Washington, one as Indiana’s offensive coordinator — he hasn’t flinched at all in the spotlight. He was unbeaten at Washington against ranked opponents until Monday’s national championship game against Michigan. Although Alabama and the SEC represent a dramatically different challenge, DeBoer has the steady temperament and skill set to transition as well as possible. He’s not Saban and he knows it, and he won’t try to be anyone but himself as he fills impossibly big shoes in Tuscaloosa.”

Rittenberg argues the biggest challenge for DeBoer will be having to meet the expectations set by his predecessor and working and recruiting in the south, a new area for the head coach.

There are a lot of unanswered questions that will persist throughout the 2024 offseason. It will be a difficult first season for DeBoer, as the SEC expands, the College Football Playoff format undergoes drastic changes and the regular season schedule features some curveballs.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Alabama Football as the 2024 offseason progresses.

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/espn-grades-alabama-decision-hire-183951365.html

Author : Roll Tide Wire

Publish date : 2024-01-27 18:39:51

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