Kalen DeBoer signs deal to replace Nick Saban at Alabama

The University of Alabama has selected Kalen DeBoer to replace Nick Saban as its football coach, the school confirmed on Friday.

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Update 7:53 p.m. EST Jan. 12: Alabama has selected Kalen DeBoer as its new head football coach, Director of Athletics Greg Byrne announced on Friday.

“We are excited to welcome Kalen and Nicole DeBoer, and their daughters, Alexis and Avery, to The University of Alabama,” Byrne said. “Coach DeBoer has proven he is a winner and has done an incredible job as a head coach at each of his stops. One of the things I told our team the other day is we are going to get someone who is not only a great coach with the X’s and O’s, but also someone who cares about his players and someone I’d want my sons to play for, just like I would have wanted them to play for Coach Saban. We got that in Coach DeBoer. He is ready to get to work, and we look forward to him leading the Alabama Crimson Tide football program for years to come. We are grateful to our leadership in President Stuart Bell, Chancellor Finis St. John and The University of Alabama System Board of Trustees for their support during this process.”

DeBoer has been a head coach for nine seasons. He has won 104 games and only lost 12 and went 25-3 with the Washington Huskies.

“I have always had an incredible respect for Alabama football and its commitment to excellence,” DeBoer said. “The tradition-rich history of this program is unmatched across the landscape of college athletics, and I look forward to continuing that moving forward. Following Coach Saban is an honor. He has been the standard for college football, and his success is unprecedented. I would not have left Washington for just any school. The chance to lead the football program at The University of Alabama is the opportunity of a lifetime. My family and I feel truly blessed and look forward to becoming a part of the Tuscaloosa community. I want to thank Director of Athletics Greg Byrne, President Stuart R. Bell, Chancellor Finis St. John and The University of Alabama System Board of Trustees for their belief in me to lead this program.”

Update 7:48 p.m. EST Jan. 12: DeBoer has signed a deal with Alabama on Friday, according to a person familiar with the negotiations. That person spoke with The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity since the deal has not yet gone through. ESPN was the first to report the agreement.

DeBoer will be the 28th head coach in Alabama’s history, AL.com reported.

Update 6:40 p.m. EST Jan. 12: DeBoer has informed his team that he is leaving and will be replacing Nick Saban at Alabama, a person who attended the meeting said, according to The Associated Press.

Sources told ESPN that DeBoer agreed to a deal to become Alabama’s next head coach.

Neither school has announced DeBoer’s decision, the AP reported.

“The plane has left Seattle,” the Alabama athletic director posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, not confirming that DeBoer has been hired, according to the AP.

Original report: A person spoke with The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity since the deal has not yet gone through. The source said that Alabama is close to hiring DeBoer.

If the deal does go through, DeBoer, 49, would “inherit one of the most coveted jobs in college football -- and one of the most difficult” which would be replacing Saban, ESPN reported.

Washington athletic director Troy Dannen made a pitch to try to keep DeBoer, sources told ESPN’s Pete Thamel. If he were to sign a new contract, he would become one of the 10 highest-paid coaches in the FBA and would double his current salary, which is $4.2 million.

If he leaves, DeBoer would have to pay Washington a $12 million buyout, according to ESPN. He had signed a two-year contract extension which would go through November 2028.

DeBoer led Washington to the national championship game in his second season with the Huskies, the AP reported. He is also a former NAIA coach.

Saban announced his retirement on Wednesday after leading Alabama to six national championships in 17 seasons, according to the AP.

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