Did Kalen DeBoer’s first season as head coach of Alabama turn out well?

“The standard is Alabama.”

Since Kalen DeBoer’s January introduction to the Alabama fan base inside Coleman Coliseum, those words have played through Bryant-Denny Stadium prior to each Alabama football home game this season.

DeBoer knew what he was getting into from the moment he was even given the opportunity to apply for the position. In addition to taking over as head coach of a program that has been the benchmark of college football for decades, including throughout Nick Saban’s tenure, he would be succeeding the greatest college football coach of all time.

There isn’t anyone with more national titles. Nobody has made more appearances in the College Football Playoffs. There is no one with more SEC titles. Nobody has played in more bowls. And as a result, even for a head coach in their first year, the bar will always remain high.

With a 19–13 loss to Michigan in the ReliaQuest Bowl on Tuesday, DeBoer’s first season as head coach of Alabama came to a disappointing close. He finished Year 1 with a 9–4 record and suffered his third defeat to an unranked school as a double-digit favorite.

“I want that guys that are going to be coming back to remember this feeling, remember some of the feelings throughout the year,” DeBoer stated following the game. “We’ve got to keep building and continue to move forward.”

The Crimson Tide’s season was symbolized by Alabama’s pregame excursion to Busch Gardens and the ride the team took. The team this year went through real highs and then massive collapses. After defeating No. 2 Georgia, DeBoer’s squad was rated first in the nation one month into the season. The following week, they lost to unranked Vanderbilt.

The Crimson Tide dominated LSU on the road, putting them in a strong position to go to the SEC title game and earn a spot as the second seed in the College Football Playoffs, even after losses to Vanderbilt and Tennessee. However, Alabama only finished with two SEC victories after suffering its worst performance of the regular season in a 24-3 loss to 5-5 Oklahoma two weeks later.

If all went according to plan over the last two weeks of the college football season, the Crimson Tide would still have lost to the CFP. However, Alabama fell one slot shy of the 12-team CFP in DeBoer’s first season as Clemson’s victory in the ACC championship game grabbed a bid.

With a victory over Michigan in the ReliaQuest Bowl, Alabama had the chance to end the season strong and gain some momentum in the offseason. Although the defense performed admirably and the squad was energized going into the game, the offense once again suffered in the defeat, according to players and coaches.

Most people were surprised when Saban announced his retirement in January, and three days later, DeBoer was formally hired. When the transfer window reopened with a head coaching change, DeBoer had to figure out how to keep the roster together right away, even though Saban hadn’t left the cupboard empty for his predecessor.

“Coach did a great job,” said Tyler Booker, the captain and starting left guard for Alabama, following the bowl defeat. “You have to realize that keeping the team was their first responsibility when they came here, especially during the NIL era when a number of men were departing. People will probably laugh at me when I say that. We also had a number of men enter. They did a fantastic job, in my opinion, to accomplish all of that, to have a fantastic recruiting class that they recently recruited from, and to come out here and compete in the SEC for the first time.

“There are undoubtedly areas where we as players and they as coaches could have performed better, but there is always space for development at any level. And the first person to tell you that is him. I simply feel incredibly fortunate and grateful to have had this coaching team, and I’m happy Coach DeBoer came here. And simply a shoutout to him because following the greatest coach of all time requires a certain level of self-confidence and pride.

Was it reasonable to expect a national title in Year 1? It was a possibility, but probably not. The 2024 squad occasionally had the potential to win a championship. Early previews of this team’s potential were given by the first half versus Georgia, when Alabama stormed out to a 28-0 lead.

A coach’s first year performance should not be used to evaluate them at any level or in any sport. Recruiting, staffing, roster building, and culture implementation are just a few of the numerous uncontrollable aspects that require time. After one season, losing four games at Alabama won’t put you on the hot seat, but if it occurs in Year 2, it might.

DeBoer will undoubtedly have a new quarterback to deal with in 2025 given that Jalen Milroe has declared for the NFL draft. At the end of the season, Alabama’s defense displayed a great deal of promise with young players. A highly regarded recruiting class is joining the Crimson Tide. DeBoer will give his system and culture another year to develop.

The four season losses are the most DeBoer has ever experienced in a single head coaching season. This year won’t sit well with him because he’s not used to losing. By the end of the season, the play wasn’t up to Alabama’s standards, but it wasn’t up to DeBoer’s either.

DeBoer’s remarks following the Michigan loss, in my opinion, perfectly captured the essence of the situation. Although this season isn’t successful by Alabama standards, what happens next will determine if it was or wasn’t.