Kalen DeBoer finally breaks silence on his Alabama job affinity after leaving Washington: "It's been a whirlwind"

Kalen DeBoer had a successful two-year run with the Washington Huskies and led them to a Pac-12 title and a CFP championship game in 2023.

After Nick Saban announced his retirement as Alabama's head coach, DeBoer was hired to be his replacement in Tuscaloosa. But last year, there were rumors about him replacing Jim Harbaugh if he left Ann Arbor after the 2023 season.

Harbaugh did leave Michigan to join the Los Angeles Chargers. But it was after Kalen DeBoer was officially hired as Alabama's new head coach.

During a recent appearance on the Dan Patrick Show, DeBoer confirmed that he was never approached for the Michigan job and that he is excited to be leading the Crimson Tide after Nick Saban.

"No. No. This was all about Alabama. That would have never been anything that I would've been aware of. When you think about the timeline of how quickly things happened from a national championship game to two days later coach Saban retiring and the next day an interview and then hired. There just wasn't a lot of time for anything. So it's been a whirlwind and excited to be the head coach at Alabama." (5:01)

In the end, Michigan ended up promoting their former OC Sherrone Moore, as Jim Harbaugh's replacement.

Moore was the interim head coach when Harbaugh was suspended for three games at the end of the 2023 regular-season schedule. He went on to put up a 4-0 that instilled some confidence in the program about Moore as the new head coach.

On the other hand, Kalen DeBoer also has a lot of work to do in Tuscaloosa. A few key players, such as Isaiah Bond and Caleb Downs, may have left the transfer portal, but DeBoer is still confident with the roster he has, along with quarterback Jalen Milroe in his offense.

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Jalen Milroe has faith in Kalen DeBoer as Nick Saban's replacement

Getting used to a new head coach after 17 years under Nick Saban is definitely a difficult task for everyone. But QB Jalen Milroe, who had a breakout season last year, is excited to see what DeBoer brings to the table in his debut campaign.

During his recent youth football camp, Milroe had nothing but praise for Kalen DeBoer and his abilities as head coach.

"He's very personable, and he's bringing good energy to the locker room. So we're all excited to have him here."

DeBoer helped shape former Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. into a Heisman runner-up last year. So fans will be curious about what plans he has for Jalen Milroe to help him improve his game and be a potential Heisman candidate in 2024.