“He pat on me” - Jalen Milroe shares key difference between Kalen DeBoer and Nick Saban’s coaching style

7x national champ Nick Saban announced his retirement as the Alabama head coach on January 11, 2024. Fans were both sad and worried about the Crimson Tide's future after Saban's retirement, but their concerns were put to rest soon after Kalen DeBoer was appointed as the next Alabama head coach.

Head coach Kalen DeBoer has continued with some processes that coach Saban established and made changes wherever he deemed necessary. Talking about one such change with Connor O'Gara, quarterback Jalen Milroe spoke about a hilarious incident that made him realize how different things are at Alabama since DeBoer's takeover:

"It's funny because at practice, you know, I threw, I threw a really good ball, really good deep ball down the field, really good pass. And everyone was celebrating, I threw it, looking at the sideline for the next play, the next signal, and coach DeBoer comes to me like, Hey, what happened? I thought you'll celebrate and run down the field, I said, coach, I was worried about the next play"

"Well, I want you to celebrate. I want you to be excited. It was really good pass, okay, all right. I was like okay, this is different. He Pat on me, it changed my perspective."

Another major changes is the offseason practice timings. During the Nick Saban era, practice sessions used to be held during the afternoon, starting from 3:30–5:30.

DeBoer has taken the initiative to shift the timing to early morning so that the players can take the rest of the day for themselves and enjoy their social as well as academic lives.

---

Kalen DeBoer continues making bold strides in the recruitment process

When Kalen DeBoer first joined Alabama, the Crimson Tide head coach found himself in a tough spot as many players decided to jump ship and enter the transfer portal, including star athletes like Isaiah Bond and Amari Niblack.

However, DeBoer was soon able to turn things around by retaining talents like Malachi Moore and Jalen Milroe while bringing in talent powerhouses like Keelon Russell, 5-star wide receiver Ryan Williams, 5-star cornerback Dijon Lee, and many more.

Adding another feather to his cap, DeBoer landed a commitment from four-star LB Dawson Merritt, a 6-foot-3 220 pound LB from Overland Park, KS, who chose the Crimson Tide over Nebraska.

“His record as a head coach is 104-12. What says he’s not going to succeed with all the things that he has set up for him at Alabama? I’m super excited to see what he can do and his support staff is amazing. Everyone there is next level. Alabama is next level compared to every other program I’ve visited,” Merritt said.

Kalen DeBoer is certainly on a winning streak this offseason and has been making impressive strides in the recruitment process. It'll be interesting to see how the Alabama team can take Nick Saban's legacy forward in the 2024 CFB season.