Not sure “shocked” is the right word to use when it comes to Kalen DeBoer defecting from Washington to take the Alabama head coaching job. DeBoer is aggressive, doesn’t shy away from a challenge, and being Nick Saban’s successor proved too juicy of an opportunity to pass on despite what he’d built with the Huskies in such a short time.
But the real, absolute, undisputed champion in college football is not Jim Harbaugh and Michigan. First of all, Harbaugh is likely gone to the NFL here soon, so enjoy it while you can, Wolverines! That natty is most likely going to be vacated someday for all the sign-stealing nonsense that went on, too. I’m kidding. I doubt it. The NCAA itself should be vacated, disemboweled and ejected into the sun.
OK sorry. Back on subject. The real national champion is Jimmy Sexton, DeBoer’s agent. Just so happens that Sexton represented Saban. Oh wait, and he represents Texas’ Steve Sarkisian, Oregon’s Dan Lanning, and Florida State’s Mike Norvell. Check out how this is all unfolding for Sexton.
Holy wow. Hello commission checks, baby!
DeBoer has been on a rocket ship to the top of the college football coaching hierarchy. Raging success at lower divisions, followed by a solid little run at Fresno State (3-3 in the COVID year of 2020, 9-3 the next), and damn did he lift that Huskies program to top-tier status in a hurry.
Now that he has more resources than ever before and certainly an exponential surplus compared to what he was working with at Washington, DeBoer is bound to compete with Kirby Smart’s Georgia program for the annual conference title/run to the College Football Playoff like Saban did before him.
I just wonder if DeBoer will eventually tire of how chaotic the transfer portal can be, not to mention the Wild West that is the modern NIL situation. There’s less to worry about on that front at Alabama, so maybe it won’t be as much of a factor.
This may seem blasphemous to say: DeBoer almost feels like a hybrid of Dan Campbell’s competitive demeanor and a more schematically attack-minded Kliff Kingsbury. Sprinkle in a bit of Harbaugh since DeBoer seems to win right away no matter where he goes. Not surprising that Sexton, already armed with an A-list who’s who of college coaching clients, moved fast to nab DeBoer in the middle of this season.
Can you imagine being Jimmy Sexton? Throwing all your clients’ hats into the ring for the most prestigious job opening in the sport, knowing one of them will take over the Crimson Tide and knowing you’re likely to get brand-new contract negotiations sparked for the others? What a freaking all-world power play.
