After 13 games we're 9-4. Let's revisit our thoughts and outlook on Coach Kalen DeBoer

[Windsortide]

I was embarrassed after Vanderbilt. I was disappointed after UT and that put a huge dent in my expectations for the season. With that being said I feel like the team,staff, and game plans are coming together at the right time. Thank God for the 12 team playoff system or we would be on the outside looking in due to some terrible Big 10 teams who play nobody.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

I was embarrassed after Vanderbilt. I was disappointed after UT and that put a huge dent in my expectations for the season. With that being said I feel like the team,staff, and game plans are coming together at the right time. Thank God for the 12 team playoff system or we would be on the outside looking in due to some terrible Big 10 teams who play nobody.

I think the greatest "good" that came out of those two losses was CKD and the staff realized what it was going to take to win at Alabama. We get everybody's best and where they came from that didn't happen. The preparation has to be second to none and for an entire season. I've seen a more focused and prepared team including staff.

 

[TiderJack]

I was embarrassed after Vanderbilt. I was disappointed after UT and that put a huge dent in my expectations for the season. With that being said I feel like the team,staff, and game plans are coming together at the right time. Thank God for the 12 team playoff system or we would be on the outside looking in due to some terrible Big 10 teams who play nobody.

We all were and I agree about where we are now. I did not like some people screaming to fire and replace coaches and players after those losses. Everybody in the program is still learning players, coaches, game plans, etc and a learning curve was certainly expected.

 

[TiderJack]

Agreed, decent / mid / whatever. It's not G5-level but there was obviously room for improvement. That said, it's hard to expect great recruiting when the program was in the dumps and the HC lacked the ability and/or discipline to get things in order.

I think decent to good was appropriate for 2006 class. We were #11 per Rivals with two 5*'s. Andre Smith, Javier Arenas, Greg McElroy, Preston Dial to name a few were part of this class. Obviously not great like it got when Saban came in. BTW BIG, Nebraska was #20 .

11

Alabama

23

3.61

2

10

11

2127

 

[crimsonaudio]

I think decent to good was appropriate for 2006 class. We were #11 per Rivals with two 5*'s. Andre Smith, Javier Arenas, Greg McElroy, Preston Dial to name a few were part of this class. Obviously not great like it got when Saban came in. BTW BIG, Nebraska was #20 .

11

Alabama

23

3.61

2

10

11

2127

Agreed. I just dislike the idea oft-posted that there were no good players when Saban arrived. Bama had good players, needed more (and some great ones), and needed good, disciplined coaching. Saban didn't have to work miracles to win big at Bama - but he outworked everyone else and that combined with Bama yielded the greatest run in CFB history.

But the cupboard wasn't as bare as some suggest when he arrived.

 

[GP for Bama]

Still a great hire.
Bright days a ahead!

 

[crimsonaudio]

Admittedly, DeBoer inherited a strong program, but it didn't come without its issues...

That said, DeBoer is the first coach since Perkins to win eight games in his first season.
Ray Perkins (1983): 8-4 (4-2 SEC)
Bill Curry (1987): 7-5 (4-2 SEC)
Gene Stallings (1990): 7-5 (5-2 SEC)
Mike DuBose (1997): 4-7 (2-6 SEC)
Dennis Franchione (2001): 7-5 (4-4 SEC)
Mike Shula (2003): 4-9 (2-6 SEC)
Nick Saban (2007): 7-6 (4-4 SEC)
Kalen DeBoer (2024): 8-2 (6-2 SEC)

And with a win this week, DeBoer will become the first Bama head coach to win nine games in his first season since Frank Thomas in 1931.

No Bama HC has ever won 10 games in his first season.

RTR

 

[tusks_n_raider]

That is not decent. That is Nebraska type recruiting. But there were 4 stars.

A LOT of the roster was 3 and 2 stars as well whereas with CNS the floor was 4 stars. We had very few players recruited by CNS that were lower then 4 stars.

 

[arthurdawg]

Agreed. I just dislike the idea oft-posted that there were no good players when Saban arrived. Bama had good players, needed more (and some great ones), and needed good, disciplined coaching. Saban didn't have to work miracles to win big at Bama - but he outworked everyone else and that combined with Bama yielded the greatest run in CFB history.

But the cupboard wasn't as bare as some suggest when he arrived.

It was a different era too. Strong defense and a power run game would win most games. Now with the defense being hamstrung by targeting and other rules and everyone running wide open offenses, you just can't shut teams like we did during the first era of Saban.

 

[dayhiker]

I hear he and Duron Carter are a package deal.

I think Duron Carter is who I was thinking of when I said Stover.

 

[mlh]

Shula brought in some talent, but it was undisciplined. Ken Darby showed up for fall camp overweight and out of shape. The same for a lot of other players, even those who were the "leaders" of the team. They didn't put the work in during the offseason to maximize their talent.

The son of a friend of mine was a walk-on when Saban took over. He said they were all amazed by the talent level of his first recruiting class - Julio Jones and that group. They reported to fall camp in shape and already knowledgeable about the offensive and defensive schemes.

And, there's the famous story about DJ Hall asking Saban if the offseason workout program was optional. Saban said: "Sure it is. But so is playing at Alabama."

 

[CaliforniaTide]

Shula brought in some talent, but it was undisciplined. Ken Darby showed up for fall camp overweight and out of shape. The same for a lot of other players, even those who were the "leaders" of the team. They didn't put the work in during the offseason to maximize their talent.

The son of a friend of mine was a walk-on when Saban took over. He said they were all amazed by the talent level of his first recruiting class - Julio Jones and that group. They reported to fall camp in shape and already knowledgeable about the offensive and defensive schemes.

And, there's the famous story about DJ Hall asking Saban if the offseason workout program was optional. Saban said: "Sure it is. But so is playing at Alabama."

I ran XC/Track at Alabama; my first season was Fall 2006, Shula's last year and the start of Saban's tenure.

I remember Bryant Hall being kind of empty of most football players that fall semester for study hall hours. The first day of study hall hours after Saban was hired, Bryant Hall had to bring in extra computers to handle the signing-in process for all of the athletes, due to the football team showing up. It also looked like the football players were signing in on the computer, and a separate list on paper.

 

[cdub55]

We all were and I agree about where we are now. I did not like some people screaming to fire and replace coaches and players after those losses. Everybody in the program is still learning players, coaches, game plans, etc and a learning curve was certainly expected.

The reality is the average person has a low EQ in today's society. We overreact and want instant gratification when something isn't immediately giving us the dopamine hit that we so obsessively want. Bama fans are not immune to this. Fortunately, Byrne doesn't come off as a weak leader or someone who listens to Johnny Public. He has enough intelligence to make decisions above all the dust and clutter that fills most of our eyes, but enough self awareness to know perception is reality. I have been thoroughly impressed with his tenure as AD. He deserves as much credit as anyone if we continue to have success throughout our athletics programs moving forward.

 

[bamajas]

I've never doubted he's the right guy.

And the fact he doesn't have a gunslinger at QB yet means the best is yet to come!

This is what's exciting. Between installing the full playbook, finding his style/build OL, and a better QB fit ... it's not a stretch to suggest this could be the "worst" or least efficient Deboer offense at Bama. And it still is good enough to compete for titles

 

[Snuffy Smith]

I've never doubted he's the right guy.

And the fact he doesn't have a gunslinger at QB yet means the best is yet to come!

Good news is that we have 3 pretty good ones on the bench and maybe the best one in the queue.

 

[cdub55]

Good news is that we have 3 pretty good ones on the bench and maybe the best one in the queue.

Keelon Russell will be an early January enrollee which will give the staff the entire offseason to evaluate where we are at the QB position. You can bet your bottom dollar, if CKD and staff don't feel comfortable to handing the keys to the Porsche over just yet to one of these guys, we will go hunting for one between April 16 and April 25. With our weapons already lined up at the other skill positions and the opportunity to lead a heavy pass dynamic offense, you would think a pretty legitimate QB prospect would be kicking down the door to try to jump on the Bama wave.

 

[22Musso22]

Let's just say the 2 loses are INEXCUSABLE.

 

[TiderJack]

Keelon Russell will be an early January enrollee which will give the staff the entire offseason to evaluate where we are at the QB position. You can bet your bottom dollar, if CKD and staff don't feel comfortable to handing the keys to the Porsche over just yet to one of these guys, we will go hunting for one between April 16 and April 25. With our weapons already lined up at the other skill positions and the opportunity to lead a heavy pass dynamic offense, you would think a pretty legitimate QB prospect would be kicking down the door to try to jump on the Bama wave.

Ty will comfortably be our starting QB next year and the portal/NIL$ will not be spent on a QB.

 

[bamapuppy]

Ty will comfortably be our starting QB next year and the portal/NIL$ will not be spent on a QB.

I believe TY will be great once he is given first string reps, and it is his team. Next year we will all be wondering why he sat for these seasons. But, the reality is that he will have seasoned enough to be great when he is set loose. But, I also believe that he is more than capable of winning it all if Milroe gets hurt, or faces a team that just has his number. Similar to when Tua was backing up Hurtz.

 

[JDCrimson]

I think Shula was likely a decent recruiter just because he was a decent person. His staff besides Joe Kines and Terry Jones was a joke. But when you are rotating Chris Capps and Kyle Tatum at ROT there is only so much you can do offensively when matched with likely the worst OL coach, even worse than Marrone.