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The Kalen DeBoer era in Tuscaloosa got off to a great start with a dominant 63-0 win over an outmatched Western Kentucky team. That said, the new coach is still struggling to outrun his predecessor’s massive shadow.
Nick Saban roamed the sidelines in Bryant-Denny Stadium for nearly two decades, bringing six national titles to T-Town. Soon, he’ll see his name on that field where he led so many legendary teams out of the tunnel.
Alabama is set to honor Saban on Saturday when the Crimson Tide face South Florida. The playing surface inside the venue will be dedicated to the head coach, with the new official name becoming Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
Join us as we honor legendary head coach Nick Saban with the dedication of Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium on September 7!#RollTidepic.twitter.com/tSyfy5II0P
— Alabama Football (@AlabamaFTBL) July 19, 2024
Interestingly enough, the Bulls are a team many believed made him first contemplate retirement in that 2024 season.
Alabama struggled in that matchup, eventually escaping with a 17-3 win. The Crimson Tide didn’t make it a two-score game until there was less than a minute remaining in the action.
The offense rotated through a pair of backup quarterbacks after Jalen Milroe got benched, though they’d eventually get things sorted out under center to make a run to the College Football Playoff.
DeBoer certainly hopes to see a better performance in his USF showdown!
Alabama’s radio host called Kalen DeBoer by Coach Saban’s name in a weekly show.
It only took one week into the season!
At least we made it to the 2nd show with Coach @KalenDeBoer. 🤣 @CStewartSports #RollTide | @Alfa_Insurance pic.twitter.com/lGOIPs0yxS
— Crimson Tide Sports Network (@UA_CTSN) September 4, 2024
It’s been impossible to escape Nick Saban’s shadow, though DeBoer’s certainly doing his best. The head coach wasn’t afraid to be “the guy after the guy,” and he’s quickly made himself at home in Tuscaloosa.
DeBoer’s put his own stamp on the program, bringing in a profanity-free approach to coaching while moving the final remnants of Saban’s “dated” office out of the facility.
While the changes represent a step in the right direction towards making the program his own, it will likely take some time for the fanbase to completely adjust – as we just saw.
Kalen DeBoer laughed the slip-up off, providing listeners with a light-hearted interaction during game week. He knows the only way to slide out of the shadow is to keep the wins coming.