DeBoer is 104-12 in his head coaching career
There is an heir to Nick Saban's throne.
Reports say Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer has agreed to become the next head coach of the legendary Alabama football program.
Saba retired on Wednesday after 17 years with the Crimson Tide and coaching in some capacity since 1973.
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Washington Huskies head coach Kalen DeBoer looks on against the Texas Longhorns during the Valero Alamo Bowl football game at the Alamodome on December 29, 2022 in San Antonio, TX. (Adam Davis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
DeBoer, 49, has some large shoes to fill, as Saban won six national championships with Alabama and one with LSU - his seven titles are the most by any coach in college football history.
But DeBoer knows what it's like to be in the limelight - he just coached his Huskies to the College Football Playoff national championship game, which they lost to No. 1 Michigan, 34-13, in a battle of undefeated teams.
This was only DeBoer's second season with the Huskies after he spent two seasons as the head coach at Fresno State - including the shortened 2020 season. He also spent five years as the head coach of Sioux Falls.
DeBoer's head coaching record is an astonishing 104-12.
ESPN reports that Washington "made a strong push" to keep DeBoer, offering to double his $4.2 million salary. He signed an extension with the Huskies through 2028 last November.
The move comes as somewhat of an ironic twist after there were rumors that a (former) Pac-12 rival of Washington in Oregon's Dan Lanning would take the job - but he announced he was staying in the Pacific Northwest.
Washington Huskies head coach Kalen DeBoer hoists the PAC-12 championship trophy after defeating the Oregon Ducks 34-31 in a PAC-12 Championship Game Friday, Dec. 1, 2023, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by (Marc Sanchez/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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Saban boasts an all-time record of 292-71-1 at the college level, including a 19-12 record in bowl games and a 9-5 record in the College Football Playoff. At Alabama, he went 206-29.
"The University of Alabama has been a very special place to Terry and me," Saban said in a statement. "We have enjoyed every minute of our 17 years being the head coach at Alabama as well as becoming a part of the Tuscaloosa community. It is not just about how many games we won and lost, but it’s about the legacy and how we went about it. We always tried to do it the right way. The goal was always to help players create more value for their future, be the best player they could be and be more successful in life because they were part of the program. Hopefully, we have done that, and we will always consider Alabama our home."
Head coach Nick Saban of the Alabama Crimson Tide looks on in the second quarter against the Michigan Wolverines during the CFP Semifinal Rose Bowl Game at Rose Bowl Stadium on January 01, 2024 in Pasadena, California. (Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
Nine of Saban's 11 SEC titles came with the Crimson Tide, and his 292 wins are the fifth-most in Division I history.
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