The Alabama Crimson Tide will look much different in the 2024 season than we’ve grown accustomed to, as legendary head coach Nick Saban won’t be on the sidelines for the first time since 2006. Saban, who retired shortly after Alabama’s thrilling overtime Rose Bowl loss to the Michigan Wolverines, was replaced by former Washington Huskies head coach Kalen DeBoer.
The change will undoubtedly be felt, and DeBoer will have big shoes to fill after replacing the head coach who won six national championships in Tuscaloosa.
ESPN’s Greg McElroy knows firsthand what Saban’s impact was on the Crimson Tide program. McElroy was Alabama’s quarterback from 2007-11, winning the 2010 BCS National Championship with the Tide. Recently, on his Always College Football podcast, McElroy explained that even something as commonplace in college as losing three games in the regular season could send the fanbase into a frenzy.
“There will be alarm bells and sirens going off because I think people look at the standard. The standard is the standard. I don’t think it’s changed just because Nick Saban is no longer there. It’s Kalen DeBoer‘s team now, but the expectations remain high,” McElroy said, via On3.
Saban had just two seasons with three or more losses in his 17-season stint at Alabama: his first season in Tuscaloosa in 2007 and the 2010 season, which saw the Tide go 10-3. Thus, the culture of winning has been established for nearly an entire generation of fans.
Despite the new era, McElroy is optimistic about DeBoer’s chances to succeed.
“Kalen DeBoer has been able to get it done, and since he took over in Tuscaloosa, the expectations are still going to remain high because they still have a lot of really good players,” McElroy added.
