Alabama’s disappointing 19-13 defeat to Michigan in the ReliaQuest Bowl shattered more than just their national championship aspirations. It also marked a rough first season for head coach Kalen DeBoer in Tuscaloosa, with the team suffering four losses.
Despite the setback, DeBoer isn’t complaining. On the contrary, he’s already focused on preparing for the 2025 off-season with a clear strategy.
The day after the ReliaQuest Bowl loss, the mood in the locker room pushed him to focus on the future.
“I believe attack is the right word for it,” DeBoer said, according to WSFA12. “I can’t say for every guy on the team but you know most of them woke up the next morning wanting to make the next season something completely different.”
DeBoer highlighted how, instead of dwelling on the defeat, they immediately began fostering the right mentality for the upcoming season.
“We don’t control the results but we do control what the effort is and what our mindset is going into it. So already off to a good start with I think that part of it, the attacking, the mindset, and I like where our guys are at. They’re off and working, coaches and players,” DeBoer remarked.
This marks a departure from Nick Saban’s approach, which was centered on accountability, both in the aftermath of a loss and in the broader context.
“I think a lot of guys are willing to go out there and work hard and set a good example, and actually be somebody that [others] want to emulate. But when you take that next step of trying to help somebody for their benefit by making them be accountable — teammate to teammate — that’s a big step for a lot of guys to take,” Saban said in a 2022 podcast.
DeBoer, however, is more focused on ensuring that their next step is more aggressive than the last, developing a mentality to face challenges head-on.
While Saban’s philosophy took time to fully take root when he first arrived at Alabama, DeBoer doesn’t have that luxury.
With only the next season to prove his method will lead the Crimson Tide back to greatness in the fast-evolving NIL era, DeBoer’s future hinges on its success. Should it fail, intense discussions about his job security are inevitable.
