The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Kalen DeBoer

Followed Nick Saban. Kalen DeBoer inherited a Blue Blood Alabama and won with it.

The ascent
57–17
2020–now · 3 stints
← all coaches

In his own words

I didn’t come here to follow Coach Saban only to turn around after two years and go somewhere else
Those guys, I think they had their moments
The Crimson White2 days after the 48–10 opener
I’m rooting for this guy
The Crimson White5 days before the opener
AK does a nice job every single day. Feels like the growth is there
The Crimson White5 days before the opener
I’d like to think that he’s gonna be a piece of the puzzle when it comes to our running back position that’s going to be instrumental to us being as successful as we want to be
The Crimson White5 days before the opener
It may not feel like it when you’re in this moment right now and what happened today, but I can tell you it’s a fine [line] between being here and being at the top
The Crimson White10 days before the opener
It’s about going out and using your athleticism to make plays
The Crimson White
Rico, two days ago, really took advantage of some balls that came his way, made a lot of nice plays
The Crimson White
It’s faster at the college level, but he’s really adapted well
The Crimson White
Between being healthy in the offseason and also understanding his body better, being a year older, he’s put on some weight. I think that’s helped in a lot of different ways
The Crimson White
Lotzeir missed a couple practices and did not scrimmage today, and will just be out for a few more practices, I would expect
Saturday Down South
I think we really look at it, we want to be able to run the football better
Roll Bama Roll
I really think it’s best done when you have one guy taking the snaps consistently
Saturday Down South
Ideally, we want to have the same quarterback from start to finish
Saturday Down South
He’s doing a great job
Saturday Down South
Ryan that year as a freshman was that guy, and we’re going to need that from those guys that you mentioned
Saturday Down South
I understand why with a lot of new faces. And that’s okay, because we got to go prove it. We got to go out and get the job done
Saturday Down South
This team has a lot of new faces. For us, we felt we took some good steps in the right direction a year ago
Saturday Down South
They’re guys that are in different years as far as Austin going into his fourth in this system, Keelon going into his second, so a little bit of a difference there
Saturday Down South
I think skillset-wise you’re talking about a much taller, bigger quarterback with Austin. He will surprise people when he really gets out and runs because he runs very well; better I think than most people think
Saturday Down South
It’s going to be one that when we do make the decision we’ll be confident we’ll do a great job
Saturday Down South
We want to be able to run the football better
Saturday Down South
[With] Austin being ready to go, he did some nice things when he got on the football field there tonight
The Crimson White
It won’t be a big group this fall
The Crimson White
A guy like Meadows sticks out in my mind. Derek is a long receiver that can cover a lot of ground and make a lot of plays
The Crimson White
I think people equate passing game with not (being a) physical team. I don’t agree with that
Saturday Down South
We had recipes for success. Get on top of people, let the defense pin the years back and get after you when you get a nice lead
Saturday Down South
You know what he’s done, he knows what it’s supposed to look like, knows what it feels like. He’s been there, he’s worked extremely hard. People, I think, think, ‘oh it’s a wake-up call for your football team’ or whatever it might be
Saturday Down South
There’s a couple weeks where they do get that one time a year to get away. Guess who’s here? You know and that’s Ryan Coleman-Williams
Saturday Down South
He’s got great balance
Saturday Down South
My family and I would like to thank the Board of Trustees, Chancellor Trant, President Mohler, Director of Athletics Greg Byrne, our athletics administration and football staff, this community and the University for their continued support of Alabama Football
Saturday Down South
Unfortunately, he suffered an injury that’s gonna take a little while to recover, and it will bleed into the season here a little bit
Saturday Down South
He will have to get evaluated. Unfortunate with him getting dinged up. We’ll kind of see what that looks like
Saturday Down South
This week was a little bit where Keelon got more reps just with some things Austin is going through.
Saturday Down South
Just been around it long enough
Saturday Down South
So many things that are on the field and off the field that just equate to a guy that you’d want in your program leading your team
Saturday Down South
A lot of the guys we added are better than what we had, and we got them for a lot less money
Saturday Down South
Caleb has come in, and you can see that he has been on the football field
Saturday Down South
I love the aggressiveness that they have. They’re not gun-shy. They go and make plays
Saturday Down South
I think they’re gaining more confidence in the offensive line each and every day. That’s going to take time
Saturday Down South
EJ’s really not taking a lot of reps, if any at all. And so that’s unfortunate, but we’ll keep working
Saturday Down South
I thought AK had a couple of nice runs in there. All of them gotta continue to grow and get better
Saturday Down South
Zebbo (Jah-Marien) Latham will be out for the spring
Saturday Down South
There’s nothing that’s happened in practice over the last couple of days
Saturday Down South
I’d have to see exactly how 24 comes together
Saturday Down South
Richard Owens possesses a diverse skillset and knowledge for the game that he has grown over time as both a player and coach
Saturday Down South
Adrian Klemm has a reputation for recruiting and developing players at every level, having worked with some of the top offensive lines in his 15-plus years coaching
Saturday Down South
You always love going into a season where you absolutely know who your quarterback is, but that won’t be the case
Saturday Down South
I’m fired up about that group. I’m fired up about what those guys bring, both the returners and also the newcomers that are coming in
Saturday Down South
It’s about production
Saturday Down South
You’ve just got to trust your guys
Saturday Down Souththe day of the 27–24 game
Man, whatever it takes
Saturday Down Souththe day of the 30–14 game
That’s what we’ll do. I’ll let Coach (Ryan) Grubb and the offensive staff do their thing. That was fun getting KP a touch last week, and it was at an important time, too.
Saturday Down Souththe day of the 30–14 game
This is what Kalen DeBoer is
Kirk Herbstreit · The Crimson White
I think right now, DeBoer and Grubb, they’re going to watch and see who takes care of the football. Who is most capable of leading the offense
McElroy · Saturday Down South
I like (DeBoer) a lot. I think he’s an excellent coach. But that doesn’t have anything to do with being successful at Alabama
Finebaum · Saturday Down South
When you have a coach that you believe in like we believe in coach DeBoer, you want to have stability in that
Byrne · Saturday Down South
DeBoer is not going to name a starter until the fall. Whoever it is has zero career starts in college
Klatt · Saturday Down South

Career arc

His real stature score, season by season, across every program he’s coached — so a stretch that stays in one tier the whole way can still climb or sink on the line, not just flatten out. Node color marks the tier reached. Which program a stretch belongs to is carried by the shaded lane behind it.

Stature score reached, by season of his head-coaching careerFRESNO STATEWASHINGTONALABAMADynastythe sport's summitBlue Bloodpermanent top tierPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelFresno State, 2020: 3-3, Regional Program I2020Fresno State, 2021: 9-3, National Program III2021+1.8Washington, 2022: 11-2, Power Program II2022Washington, 2023: 14-1, Power Program I2023+8.0Alabama, 2024: 9-4, Blue Blood2024Alabama, 2025: 11-4, Blue Blood2025Alabama, 2026: in progress, Blue Blood2026-10.6One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Reached Blue Blood in his 5th career season — faster than 35% of the 100 FBS coaches who have ever reached Blue Blood (rank #58 of 100 by seasons-to-arrival).

Fresno State, 2 seasons
+1.8
Regional Program I → National Program III.
Washington, 2 seasons
+8.0
Power Program II → Power Program I.
Alabama, 3 seasons (active)
−10.6
Blue Blood → Blue Blood.

Style position and drift

Where each stint’s offense sat between run-first and pass-first, and how far it moved from one season to the next. The band is that stint’s real season-to-season range, not a fixed-width box.

40%50%60%Fresno State2020–2021▲ 0.6ptWashington2022–2023▼ 0.5ptAlabama2024–2026▼ 3.9pt
Pass rate — share of offensive plays that were pass attemptsfirst covered seasonmost recent covered seasonfull season-to-season range (3+ covered seasons)
How much that is, against every other stint

Season-to-season pass-rate range for all 258 FBS coaching stints with at least three covered seasons, 2014–2025.

Typical stint7.010.2 median13.9middle half of all stints
Alabama14.7pt#56 of 258 · more than most

The big-game ledger

How he does in the games that matter most — rivalry record, performance broken out by real opponent tier, one-score games, and his toughest historical matchup.

8–1 against his rivals. Just 1–2 against Brent Venables.

Rivalry record
8–1
88.9% · 5 rivals
One-score games
16–5
76.2% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
3–3
50.0%
Buyout owed
$60,843,750
bigger than 97% of FBS buyouts
Rivalry ledger
Oregon3–0100%
Tennessee1–150%
LSU1–0100%
Auburn1–0100%
The toughest matchup
3 meetings, 2024–2025
’24 L · blew a 3-pt lead’25 L · blew a 1-pt lead’25 W · erased a 17-pt deficit
33% win rate across a real, 3-meeting series — short of the bar this site uses before badging a series “Nemesis.” Shown here as the toughest matchup on record, not an algorithmic crown.
Performance by opponent class
Blue Blood
3–3 50.0%
Power Program
17–5 77.3%
National Program
10–1 90.9%
Regional Program
10–4 71.4%

His own effect, isolated

A statistical estimate of this coach’s contribution to team performance, separated from that season’s roster talent, returning production, and his coordinators — pooled across his whole head-coaching career.

Offense marginal impact
+0.28
#64 of 319 · more than most
Defense marginal impact
+0.10
#89 of 325 · a typical amount

Model fit as of 2026-09-04.

What fans are saying

Fan claims · every quote verified verbatim

coaching decisionEarly signal — few voices

fans believe Kalen DeBoer has failed to establish a strong, confident coaching presence and has struggled with Alabama's offensive performance

I didn't like what Kalen DeBoer said at SEC Media Day. He didn't sound confident at all and that's why teams don't fear Bama anymore

I'm still not convinced Kalen DeBoer is the right coach for Alabama. He's too soft and makes a lot of mistakes. I think giving him a second contract was a mistake.

Based on 2 comments from 2 posters across 2 threads · Jul 24, 2026–Jul 27, 2026 · via BAMA FOOTBALL ON YOUTUBE WITH KYLE HENDERSON

Show all 4
program directionLimited signal that season

fans believe Kalen DeBoer is not instilling the same level of toughness or effort in Alabama players as previous coaches

I'm sorry.... Alabama has no standard anymore. They are starting at square 1 now with coach Kalen Debore. They have no OL, no DL, no Secondary and no run game. All they do is score a lot of points and hope the other team can't catch up. 🇺🇸🫡🧑‍🏭

Yes, so far into the Deboer era Bama isnt making their asses quit!!! He is Kalen "please play good for me" Deboer!! Unlike Saban and many of the coaches from the Saban coaching tree Deboer is obviously not capable of demanding and getting the best desire and effort from the Bama roster!!!! The Bama Standard is now just a flicker and as a lifelong diehard Bama fan this is what infuriates me!!! Win, lose, or draw just play your ass off like Bama has for the last 20 years!!!

Based on 2 comments from 2 posters across 2 threads · Jul 17, 2026–Jul 21, 2026 · via Alabama Crimson Tide on AL.com, BAMA FOOTBALL ON YOUTUBE WITH KYLE HENDERSON

program directionOne fan's take

One fan believes Kalen DeBoer is not instilling the same level of toughness or effort in the team as previous coaches

He is Kalen "please play good for me" Deboer!! Unlike Saban and many of the coaches from the Saban coaching tree Deboer is obviously not capable of demanding and getting the best desire and effort from the Bama roster!!!!

Based on 1 comment from 1 poster across 1 thread · Jul 17, 2026 · via Alabama Crimson Tide on AL.com

player roleOne fan's take

DeBoer publicly highlights progress of specific developing players

Kalen DeBoer believes Cederian Morgan and EJ Crowell will make a significant impact in 2026

Based on 1 comment across 1 thread · Jul 24, 2026 · via rolltide

Coaching career

2024–now
Alabamainheritor
Blue Blood → Blue Blood
Kalen DeBoer inherited a Blue Blood Alabama and won with it.

6th-best Alabama tenure of 12 by the numbers.

Recruiter or developer?

Underperforms his recruiting talent on offense and outperforms his recruiting talent on defense.

Offense vs. talent
-12.4 pts
#157 of 208 · less than most
Defense vs. talent
+17.3 pts
#39 of 208 · more than most
Recruiting talent is team-wide (no offense/defense split exists in the source data) -- both sides are scored against the same talent input, only the outcome is side-specific.

Followed Nick Saban (2007–2023).

Season202420252026Trend
Record & result
Record9–411–40–0
PostseasonL bowlL bowl
Recruiting rank#2#3#2
Style — pass rate
Pass rate42.152.938.2
Coordinators
OCJaMarcus Shephard / Nick SheridanJaMarcus Shephard / Nick Sheridan / Ryan GrubbRyan Grubb
DCColin Hitschler / Kane Wommack / Maurice LinguistKane Wommack / Maurice LinguistKane Wommack / Maurice Linguist
Outcome — opponent-adjusted efficiency percentile
Offense606745
Defense998484
Tendencies — play-by-play, neutral script (2021+ only)
1st-down pass%40.747.834.0
Red-zone pass%29.144.132.1
4th-down go%opp. territory36.447.8
Roster construction · portal era

A typical amount of portal roster-building.

Portal arrivals
42
3.4★ avg rating
Portal departures
88
left via the portal
Net portal flow
-46
#82 of 187 FBS stints
Notable portal arrivals with a modeled NIL value
Isaiah Horton On3 modeled · $1,000,000
On3’s modeled estimate (social reach / exposure), not money actually paid — shown per player, never totaled.
Who they bring in

Brings in bigger-than-position-typical players than most.

A typical class-year mix of incoming transfers.

Avg. size (raw)
6′3″, 259 lbs
across 39 of 42 arrivals — unadjusted for position mix
Size vs. position-typical
+10.9 lbs
#2 of 255 · more than most
Avg. class year
Jr
#176 of 255 · a typical amount
Top states: AL (5), CA (4), TX (4), MD (3), OH (3)
Who won the portal our read
Talent added
62.5
position-weighted
Talent lost
68.5
position-weighted
Net
-6.0
arrivals minus departures
Best addition: Austin Mack (QB) from Washington
Biggest loss: Julian Sayin (QB) to Ohio State
Position-value-weighted (QB/CB weighted highest, depth-decayed within each position) — the same scoring engine as the Portal Heat feed, not a separate grade.
Does the system survive a coordinator change?
OC: co-JaMarcus Shephard / co-Nick Sheridan → co-JaMarcus Shephard / co-Nick Sheridan / Ryan Grubb · 2025
60th pct67th pct0th100th
1-season window either side — numbers shown, not enough to badge a verdict.
1st-down pass rate: 40.7% → 47.8% (+7.1 pts)
Confound, shown not hidden: only 43% of offensive production returned the year the coordinator changed — the roster turned over at the same time, not just the play-caller.
OC: co-JaMarcus Shephard / co-Nick Sheridan / Ryan Grubb → Ryan Grubb · 2026
67th pct45th pct0th100th
1-season window either side — numbers shown, not enough to badge a verdict.
1st-down pass rate: 47.8% → 34.0% (-13.8 pts)
Confound, shown not hidden: only 26% of offensive production returned the year the coordinator changed — the roster turned over at the same time, not just the play-caller.
DC: co-Colin Hitschler / Kane Wommack / co-Maurice Linguist → Kane Wommack / co-Maurice Linguist · 2025
99th pct84th pct0th100th
1-season window either side — numbers shown, not enough to badge a verdict.
Roster size, by position
Skill positions · usage-weighted (real participation)
Quarterback
217 lbs
6′3″ avg · #256 of 767 · a typical amount
Running back
216 lbs
5′11″ avg · #117 of 791 · more than most
Wide receiver
194 lbs
6′0″ avg · #356 of 791 · a typical amount
Tight end
257 lbs
6′4″ avg · #52 of 731 · more than most
Trench & secondary · recruited roster, not confirmed starters
Interior line
325 lbs
6′5″ avg · #11 of 779 · more than most
D-line
295 lbs
6′4″ avg · #152 of 753 · more than most
Linebacker
234 lbs
6′2″ avg · #146 of 772 · more than most
Cornerback
197 lbs
6′1″ avg · #80 of 771 · more than most
Offensive-line size is one undifferentiated bucket — the source data almost never distinguishes tackle from guard from center, so we can't split them out.
Where the roster comes from, by position
Grows Running back from high school
75%
#162 of 208 stints
Grows Linebacker from high school
80%
#170 of 225 stints
Postseason detail2024: Lost to Michigan 13–19 ReliaQuest Bowl2025: Beat Oklahoma 34–24 College Football Playoff First Round Game2025: Lost to Indiana 3–38 College Football Playoff Quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl Presented by Prudential

27 NFL Draft picks: JC Latham (2024), Dallas Turner (2024), Terrion Arnold (2024), Kool-Aid McKinstry (2024), Chris Braswell (2024), Jermaine Burton (2024), Justin Eboigbe (2024), Jase McClellan (2024) + 19 more

5 player-seasons honored (All-America / national award): Malachi Moore (2024), Tyler Booker (2024), Kadyn Proctor (2025), Bray Hubbard (2026), Zabien Brown (2026)

20–8
2022–2023
Washingtoncaretaker
Power Program II → Power Program I
Kalen DeBoer moved Washington from Power Program II to Power Program I in 2 seasons.

4th-best Washington tenure of 18 by the numbers.

Recruiter or developer?

Outperforms his recruiting talent on offense and underperforms his recruiting talent on defense.

Offense vs. talent
+33.8 pts
#11 of 208 · more than most
Defense vs. talent
-40.9 pts
#205 of 208 · less than most
Recruiting talent is team-wide (no offense/defense split exists in the source data) -- both sides are scored against the same talent input, only the outcome is side-specific.

Followed Jimmy Lake (2020–2021) · succeeded by Jedd Fisch (2024–2026).

Season20222023Trend
Record & result
Record11–214–1
PostseasonW bowlTitle game L
Recruiting rank#95#26
Style — pass rate
Pass rate58.958.3
Coordinators
OCRyan GrubbRyan Grubb
DCChuck Morrell / William IngeChuck Morrell / William Inge
Outcome — opponent-adjusted efficiency percentile
Offense9693
Defense2315
Tendencies — play-by-play, neutral script (2021+ only)
1st-down pass%64.260.0
Red-zone pass%51.542.5
4th-down go%opp. territory39.034.3
Roster construction · portal era

A typical amount of portal roster-building.

Portal arrivals
19
3.3★ avg rating
Portal departures
42
left via the portal
Net portal flow
-23
#131 of 187 FBS stints
Who they bring in

Brings in smaller-than-position-typical players than most.

Recruits older, more experienced transfers than most.

Avg. size (raw)
6′1″, 213 lbs
across 18 of 19 arrivals — unadjusted for position mix
Size vs. position-typical
-0.8 lbs
#240 of 255 · less than most
Avg. class year
Sr
#9 of 255 · more than most
Top states: CA (5), TX (3), FL (2), WA (1), HI (1)
Who won the portal our read
Talent added
51.2
position-weighted
Talent lost
56.7
position-weighted
Net
-5.5
arrivals minus departures
Best addition: Michael Penix Jr. (QB) from Indiana
Biggest loss: Sam Huard (QB) to Cal Poly
Position-value-weighted (QB/CB weighted highest, depth-decayed within each position) — the same scoring engine as the Portal Heat feed, not a separate grade.
Roster size, by position
Skill positions · usage-weighted (real participation)
Quarterback
212 lbs
6′3″ avg · #400 of 767 · a typical amount
Running back
212 lbs
6′0″ avg · #221 of 791 · a typical amount
Wide receiver
200 lbs
6′1″ avg · #101 of 791 · more than most
Tight end
246 lbs
6′4″ avg · #323 of 731 · a typical amount
Trench & secondary · recruited roster, not confirmed starters
Interior line
305 lbs
6′5″ avg · #566 of 779 · a typical amount
D-line
303 lbs
6′3″ avg · #61 of 753 · more than most
Linebacker
227 lbs
6′1″ avg · #437 of 772 · a typical amount
Cornerback
198 lbs
6′1″ avg · #52 of 771 · more than most
Safety
195 lbs
6′1″ avg · #215 of 346 · a typical amount
Offensive-line size is one undifferentiated bucket — the source data almost never distinguishes tackle from guard from center, so we can't split them out.
Where the roster comes from, by position
Buys Running back via the portal
80%
#12 of 208 stints
Grows Quarterback from high school
75%
#164 of 206 stints
Grows Tackle from high school
80%
#171 of 223 stints
Postseason detail2022: Beat Texas 27–20 Valero Alamo Bowl2023: Beat Texas 37–31 CFP Semifinal at the Allstate Sugar Bowl2023: Lost to Michigan 13–34 CFP National Championship Pres. by AT&T

14 NFL Draft picks: Trent McDuffie (2022), Kyler Gordon (2022), Cade Otton (2022), Luke Wattenberg (2022), Michael Penix Jr. (2024), Rome Odunze (2024), Troy Fautanu (2024), Ja'Lynn Polk (2024) + 6 more

2 player-seasons honored (All-America / national award): Michael Penix Jr. (2023), Rome Odunze (2023)

25–3
2020–2021
Fresno Statecaretaker
National Program III → National Program III
Kalen DeBoer held Fresno State at National Program III for 2 seasons.

7th-best Fresno State tenure of 12 by the numbers.

Recruiter or developer?

Performs about as expected for his recruiting talent on offense and outperforms his recruiting talent on defense.

Offense vs. talent
+12.1 pts
#58 of 208 · a typical amount
Defense vs. talent
+17.6 pts
#37 of 208 · more than most
Recruiting talent is team-wide (no offense/defense split exists in the source data) -- both sides are scored against the same talent input, only the outcome is side-specific.
Season20202021Trend
Record & result
Record3–31–0
PostseasonW bowl
Recruiting rank#121#74
Style — pass rate
Pass rate53.353.9
Coordinators
OCRyan GrubbRyan Grubb
DCWilliam IngeWilliam Inge
Outcome — opponent-adjusted efficiency percentile
Offense5857
Defense4187
Tendencies — play-by-play, neutral script (2021+ only)
1st-down pass%53.158.6
Red-zone pass%50.856.6
4th-down go%opp. territory47.622.5
Roster construction · portal era

Barely touches the portal — recruits and develops his own.

Portal arrivals
8
3.2★ avg rating
Portal departures
13
left via the portal
Net portal flow
-5
#145 of 187 FBS stints
Who they bring in

Brings in bigger-than-position-typical players than most.

Recruits younger transfers than most — more of a development bet.

Avg. size (raw)
6′1″, 236 lbs
across 6 of 8 arrivals — unadjusted for position mix
Size vs. position-typical
+7.9 lbs
#39 of 255 · more than most
Avg. class year
Jr
#202 of 255 · less than most
Top states: CA (5), WA (1)
Who won the portal our read
Talent added
25.4
position-weighted
Talent lost
37.0
position-weighted
Net
-11.6
arrivals minus departures
Best addition: Elijah Gates (CB) from UCLA
Biggest loss: Chris Gaston (CB) to the portal
Position-value-weighted (QB/CB weighted highest, depth-decayed within each position) — the same scoring engine as the Portal Heat feed, not a separate grade.
Roster size, by position
Skill positions · usage-weighted (real participation)
Quarterback
203 lbs
6′1″ avg · #634 of 767 · less than most
Running back
199 lbs
5′10″ avg · #648 of 791 · less than most
Wide receiver
183 lbs
6′0″ avg · #737 of 791 · less than most
Tight end
249 lbs
6′4″ avg · #211 of 731 · a typical amount
Trench & secondary · recruited roster, not confirmed starters
Interior line
307 lbs
6′4″ avg · #491 of 779 · a typical amount
D-line
277 lbs
6′3″ avg · #533 of 753 · a typical amount
Cornerback
190 lbs
6′1″ avg · #395 of 771 · a typical amount
Offensive-line size is one undifferentiated bucket — the source data almost never distinguishes tackle from guard from center, so we can't split them out.
Where the roster comes from, by position
Grows Tackle from high school
80%
#171 of 223 stints
Grows Cornerback from high school
71%
#190 of 236 stints
Postseason detail2021: Beat UTEP 31–24 PUBG Mobile New Mexico Bowl

3 NFL Draft picks: Mykal Walker (2020), Netane Muti (2020), DaRon Bland (2022)

12–6
How to read this. Bands and archetypes come from the Zeitgeist List’s season-by-season stature model, and only apply once a stint clears 3 coached seasons in our ledger — a newer stint shows its real record with no stature judgment yet.