Kalen DeBoer

• 1997: Sioux Falls – Wide receivers coach
• 1998-98: Washington High School (South Dakota) – Assistant coach
• 2000-04: Sioux Falls – Offensive coordinator
• 2005-09: Sioux Falls – Head coach
• 2010-13: Southern Illinois – Offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach
• 2014-16: Eastern Michigan – Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach
• 2017-18: Fresno State – Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach
• 2019: Indiana –Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach
• 2020-21: Fresno State – Head coach
• 2022-23: Washington – Head coach
• 2024-present: Alabama – Head coach

Kalen DeBoer Coaching History

Kalen DeBoer became the 28th head coach in Alabama program history on Jan. 12, 2024. DeBoer was hired days after the legendary Nick Saban announced his retirement. He led the Crimson Tide to a 9-4 record and just missed out on the College Football Playoff.

DeBoer took the Alabama job after a brief but highly impactful tenure as Washington’s head coach. Last season, DeBoer became the first coach in Washington program history to win 11 or more games in consecutive seasons after going 11-2 in 2022 and 14-1 in 2023 and the first to win a bowl game in his first season with the Huskies.

Taking the Huskies to the College Football Playoff National Championship, DeBoer picked up the 2023 Associated Press, AFCA, Eddie Robinson, George Munger, Walter Camp and Home Depot Coach of the Year awards.

DeBoer began his Alabama tenure with a 104-12 record as a head coach with a 12-2 record against top 25 teams and 24-6 in one-score contests. That took a hit during Year 1 in the SEC, but let’s see how he does entering Years 2 and 3 in Tuscaloosa.

DeBoer’s coaching career began at NAIA program Sioux Falls in 2005. He posted a 67-3 record over four seasons, winning three NAIA championships. His first NCAA head coaching job came years later at Fresno State.

After serving as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Eastern Michigan, DeBoer took the same role at Fresno State in 2017. At Fresno State, DeBoer worked under Jeff Tedford, a highly regarded offensive mind.

DeBoer left his post at Fresno State to be Indiana’s offensive coordinator for the 2019 season. When Tedford resigned from Fresno State for health reasons after the ’19 season, DeBoer got his first head coaching opportunity.

The COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on the 2020 college football season. Fresno State was limited to a 6-game season in 2020, going 3-3. In limited action, DeBoer’s squad led the Mountain West in passing offense (356.3 yards per game) and total offense (464.8 yards per game) for the 2020 season.

In 2021, DeBoer’s Fresno State team posted a 10-3 record capped by a New Mexico Bowl win over UTEP. The Bulldogs again had the best offense in the Mountain West with 464.8 yards per game. They were second in the conference in points per game (30.5) and passing yards per game (326.7).

Fresno State’s success helped DeBoer land his first power conference coaching job at Washington ahead of the 2022 season.

The Huskies experienced quite the offensive turnaround in Year 1 under DeBoer. In 2021, Washington finished 114th in total offense (323.4 yards per game), 107th in scoring (21.5 ppg) and 73rd in passing (225.0 ypg) nationally. In DeBoer’s first year, the UW improved to first nationally in passing (369.8 ypg), second in total offense (515.8 ypg) and seventh in scoring (39.7 ppg).

Washington finished with an 11-2 record in DeBoer’s first game. The turnaround from the Huskies’ 4-8 showing in 2021 made DeBoer the Pac-12 Coach of the Year.

Reuniting with DeBoer helped make former Indiana QB Michael Penix Jr. a Heisman Trophy finalist. Playing for DeBoer, Penix broke the Washington single-season passing record in back-to-back seasons, throwing for 4,641 yards in 2022 and 4,903 yards in ’23.

DeBoer’s 2023 Washington team did not lose until facing Michigan in the CFP National Championship. The Huskies were again an offensive juggernaut, led by Penix, star receiver Rome Odunze (92 catches, 1,640 yards,13 touchdowns) and standout running back Dillon Johnson (1,195 rushing yards, 16 touchdowns).

Andrew Olson

Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.