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The Alabama football team is struggling in the month of October. A two-point win over South Carolina was sandwiched between SEC losses to Vanderbilt and Tennessee, putting the Crimson Tide’s playoff pursuit at risk.
Kalen DeBoer held his weekly call-in show on Wednesday where he was expected to address the issues that have plagued the team over the last few weeks. Rather than meet the criticism head on, he appeared to run from questioning.
Alabama holds its “Hey Coach” radio show each week. DeBoer is contractually obligated to make the appearance.
He’s not, however, required to field questions directly, apparently. Though previous editions have seen interaction between both callers and in-person attendees, the latest appearance seemed to shift in format.
Only one caller question was allowed to phone in after the loss to the Vols. No in-person inquiries were taken.
It offered a stark contrast to what’s been seen in the past.
A week after Kalen DeBoer answered several pointed questions from fans on his “Hey Coach” radio show, there was only one caller to tonight’s show — PeeWee from Grand Bay — and no questions were taken from the audience.
— Mike Rodak (@mikerodak) October 24, 2024
Was it a one-off given the Tide’s poor play, or is it a sign of things to come?
We’ve seen other notable programs move to a fan-free format this season. Clemson opted to do so after a spat between coach Dabo Swinney and caller “Tyler from Spartanburg” went viral last year.
Alabama might soon do the same.
Tensions are high in Tuscaloosa in Year 1 with Kalen DeBoer. With losses piling up, fans are looking for answers.
Former QB AJ McCarron blasted the program for a lack of focus following the Tennesse and Vanderbilt losses, citing TikTok and NIL as distractions. Wide receiver Ryan Williams did little to quiet those critics this week.
Unfortunately, Crimson Tide fans may not get those answers on Wednesdays moving forward.
Their voice was quieted this time around.
DeBoer fielded several pointed questions from callers before the Tide headed to Knoxville.
DeBoer had answered questions as usual from both callers and attendees at Baumhower’s Victory Grille in Tuscaloosa following the Vanderbilt loss. Nick Saban also generally answered questions as normal following losses during his tenure as Alabama’s head coach.
Kalen DeBoer and Co. will now look to reverse the recent trend and get back in the win column with an upcoming matchup with Missouri looming. It will be interesting to see if the call-in show reverts back to taking questions next week.