Kalen DeBoer higher like a problem — and strain — as a result of he’s about to get each as Alabama head coach.
ESPN reported on Friday that DeBoer had agreed to go away Washington for the Crimson Tide, changing legendary coach Nick Saban, who introduced his retirement Wednesday.
DeBoer spent the previous two seasons at Washington, main the Huskies to a 25-3 document and an look on this yr’s School Soccer Playoff. After beating Texas within the CFP semifinal within the Sugar Bowl, Washington misplaced the nationwide title sport to Michigan.
He has solely been a head coach on the FBS stage for 4 years, compiling a mixed 37-9 document at Fresno State and Washington. However that success, in addition to Washington’s run to the nationwide title sport, has made him one of many rising stars in NCAA teaching ranks.
For DeBoer, it is a gigantic danger. He’s leaving what might be thought-about a comparatively protected place with sturdy job safety — at the very least so far as main school soccer coaches are involved.
As widespread because the Washington soccer program is, it is in an space that is typically overshadowed by skilled sports activities groups. Expectations are a lot decrease there than they’re within the SEC. DeBoer may win 10-11 video games at Washington each season, sometimes win the Huge Ten (it joins the convention this season), make the 12-team playoff discipline and be a neighborhood hero for years.
Alabama and the SEC are a wholly completely different kind of beast. Following within the footsteps of one of many biggest school coaches of all time, at a faculty the place nationwide titles are anticipated, is a distinct zone all collectively.
Within the SEC, and at faculties like Alabama, you get pushed out the door or placed on the recent seat when you lose two or three video games and aren’t in fixed competitors for championships. As simple as Saban made that look, it is harder than that, and just a few coaches can deal with these sorts of expectations.
Can DeBoer do this? Will his model of soccer translate to the SEC? And can he do sufficient to persuade the gamers and recruits to stay round and provides him an opportunity to show himself earlier than they resolve to bail for different applications? These are the massive questions forward.
In the end, big-time coaches are all the time striving to the most effective, and so they need probably the most distinguished jobs. There is no such thing as a job in school soccer greater than Alabama head soccer coach. In case you win huge, you change into a legend. In case you lose just a few video games, the varsity might rapidly toss you apart.
