Washington’s Kalen DeBoer has informed university officials that he is replacing the retired Nick Saban as the head coach at Alabama, ESPN reported on Friday.
Per the report, DeBoer was expected to deliver the news to his team before officially accepting the job.
DeBoer guided the Huskies to a 12-0 record during the regular season, a Pac-12 championship and a spot in the CFP national championship game. DeBoer, 49, was voted the Associated Press Coach of the Year last month.
ESPN reported Washington director of athletics Troy Dannen has tried to entice DeBoer to stay with a new contract that would make him one of the 10 highest-paid coaches in FBS.
Before inheriting a Huskies team that finished 4-8 in 2021, DeBoer was 67-3 with three NAIA championships at his alma mater Sioux Falls (2005-09) and 12-6 in two seasons at Fresno State (2020-21).
DeBoer paid immediate dividends since being hired at Washington, guiding the Huskies to an 11-2 record in 2022 and a victory in the Alamo Bowl. He followed up an undefeated regular season in 2023 with a 34-31 victory over Oregon in the Pac-12 title game and a 37-31 win over Texas in a CFP semifinal on New Year’s Day.
Washington dropped a 34-13 decision to No. 1 Michigan in the CFP national championship.
Saban won six of his seven national titles in his 17 years at Alabama, tying the school mark set by Bear Bryant. He finishes with a career mark of 297-71-1, 206 of those wins coming at Alabama (with 29 losses).
He led the Crimson Tide to nine Southeastern Conference championships.
