SEC admirer Paul Finebaum reveals biggest hurdle for Kalen DeBoer to sustain Nick Saban's legacy in Alabama: "No longer a Saban discount"

The Alabama Crimson Tide moved quickly to replace legendary head coach Nick Saban with Kalen DeBoer. The Washington Huskies head coach was announced for the job on Tuesday, just days after Coach Saban decided to retire. DeBoer is coming on the back of a brilliant season with the Huskies, taking the team all the way to the national championship game in the 2023 season.

SEC admirer Paul Finebaum took to social media to react to the news of DeBoer’s appointment. The sports commentator revealed the biggest hurdle that the incoming Crimson Tide head coach will have to face in Tuscaloosa.

According to Finebaum, the so-called ‘Nick Saban discount’ will no longer be valid in Alabama.

“There’s no longer a ‘Saban discount’ when it comes to players taking less NIL money to come to Alabama. That's one of the biggest things Kalen DeBoer will have to navigate,” Finebaum said in a tweet.

Many players did have a dream of playing under Coach Saban in Alabama. That was one of the biggest motivating factors for them to join the program, even without a ton of NIL money.

With Saban no longer in charge in Tuscaloosa, that motivation will not work anymore, and DeBoer will have to build the program almost from the ground up. He might also have to navigate a little exodus of junior players at the moment. But if his time in Seattle is any indication, he knows how to build a football program.

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A look at Kalen DeBoer’s time with the Washington Huskies

Kalen DeBoer helmed the Washington Huskies for two seasons starting 2022. He posted a great win record in Seattle, winning 25 of the 28 games he coached the team. That is keeping in mind that the same program had a dismal overall record of 4-8 in the 2021 season before DeBoer took charge.

2024 CFP National Championship - Michigan v Washington: HOUSTON, TEXAS - JANUARY 08: Head coach Kalen DeBoer of the Washington Huskies reacts in the second quarter against the Michigan Wolverines during the 2024 CFP National Championship game at NRG Stadium on January 08, 2024 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)

The 2023 season was especially brilliant for DeBoer and Washington. The Huskies went 12-0 in the regular season and went on to win the Pac-12 championship title, defeating the Oregon Ducks.

The Huskies QB Michael Penix Jr. was nominated for the Heisman trophy where he finished as the runner-up behind Jayden Daniels of the LSU Tigers. The team also won the Sugar Bowl but ended up losing the national championship game to Jim Harbaugh's Michigan Wolverines.

Can DeBoer carry forward the same form with Alabama?