Alabama became one of college football's greatest dynasties during Nick Saban's 17 years in charge of the program. The Crimson Tide won six national championships under his watch and was a near-perennial staple in the College Football Playoff once the tournament was created.
But Alabama will no longer have Saban at its disposal entering the 2024 season. He made the surprising decision to retire and join ESPN's "College GameDay" as an analyst.
That left the Crimson Tide looking for a successor who could keep their dynastic run going. That led them to Washington coach Kalen DeBoer.
DeBoer's hiring at Alabama marked the culmination of the 49-year-old's rapid rise through college football's coaching ranks. He will be tasked with continuing Saban's run and keeping the Crimson Tide's programs among the best in the country.
Here's what to know about DeBoer — including his coaching record, timeline and contract — as he looks to lead Alabama to another national title.
MORE: Why Nick Saban retired, explained
Who is Kalen DeBoer?
DeBoer is Alabama's new head football coach and comes to the program with four years of Div. I coaching experience at Fresno State and Washington. He led the Huskies to a College Football Playoff appearance last season and helped turn quarterback Michael Penix Jr. into a Heisman contender and top-10 pick.
DeBoer played college football at Div. II Sioux Falls from 1993-96. He was a wide receiver and eventually became a position coach for the program after his graduation. DeBoer climbed the ladder at Sioux Falls, earning the offensive coordinator role in 2000 — after a stop at Washington High School in Sioux Falls, S.D. — and was named the program's head coach in 2005.
In his five seasons at Sioux Falls, DeBoer led the team to a 67-3 record and three NAIA championships.
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Kalen DeBoer coaching record
DeBoer's winning ways have followed him to each of his FBS coaching stops. He has a combined record of 104-12 from his time at Sioux Falls, Fresno State and Washington and has just one non-winning season under his belt. That was the COVID-impacted 2020 season during which his Fresno State squad went 3-3.
DeBoer posted an impressive 25-3 mark during his two seasons at Washington. He helped turn them into a legitimate College Football Playoff team and a national title contender.
Below is a year-by-year look at DeBoer's record as a head coach.
| Year | Team | Record |
| 2005 | Sioux Falls | 11-2 |
| 2006 | Sioux Falls | 14-0 |
| 2007 | Sioux Falls | 13-1 |
| 2008 | Sioux Falls | 14-0 |
| 2009 | Sioux Falls | 15-0 |
| 2020 | Fresno State | 3-3 |
| 2021 | Fresno State | 9-3 |
| 2022 | Washington | 11-2 |
| 2023 | Washington | 14-1 |
| Total | 3 teams | 104-12 |
Alabama hopes DeBoer can repeat the success he enjoyed with Penix at Washington alongside potential-packed passer Jalen Milroe in Alabama. That would go a long way toward keeping the Crimson Tide's 16-year streak of 10-win seasons alive.
MORE: Where Alabama ranks in SEC for 2024 season without Nick Saban
Kalen DeBoer teams coached, coaching timeline
DeBoer began his coaching career as a wide receivers coach at Sioux Falls in 1997. Here's a look at all the teams he has coached since:
| Year(s) | Team | Role |
| 1997 | Sioux Falls | WRs |
| 1998-99 | Washington High School (S.D.) | Assistant |
| 2000-04 | Sioux Falls | Offensive coordinator |
| 2005-09 | Sioux Falls | Head coach |
| 2010-13 | Southern Illinois | Offensive coordinator/WRs |
| 2014-16 | Eastern Michigan | Offensive coordinator/WRs |
| 2017-18 | Fresno State | Offensive coordinator/QBs |
| 2019 | Indiana | Offensive coordinator/QBs |
| 2020-21 | Fresno State | Head coach |
| 2022-23 | Washington | Head coach |
| 2024-present | Alabama | Head coach |
DeBoer was also an assistant coach for Sioux Falls' baseball team from 2000-04. He played left field for them during his playing days and hit .520 with 10 homers during his senior season in 1997.
MORE: Why Nick Saban joined ESPN's 'College GameDay', explained
Kalen DeBoer contract
DeBoer's impressive resume led him to be Alabama's top target in its quest to replace Saban. They paid the 49-year-old handsomely to try to fill Saban's enormous shoes.
DeBoer was given an eight-year contract worth an average of $10.875 million per year, per ESPN's Chris Low. That means he'll make $87 million over the contract's duration, which makes DeBoer the fourth-highest-paid coach in college football by the measure of average annual value (AAV), per Front Office Sports.
| Coach | Program | AAV |
| Kirby Smart | Georgia | $13 million |
| Dabo Swinney | Clemson | $11.5 million |
| Lincoln Riley | USC | $11 million |
| Kalen DeBoer | Alabama | $10.875 million |
| Steve Sarkisian | Texas | $10.3 million |
DeBoer will make $10 million in his first season at Alabama but will see a salary increase of $250,000 in each year of the contract. He will make $11.75 million during the final year of his contract, which ends Dec. 31, 2031.