"Kalen DeBoer got a little Tiger Woods in him" — Joel Klatt draws bold comparisons for Alabama HC's unique traits

Kalen DeBoer was appointed as the Alabama coach following Nick Saban's departure earlier this year. While replacing the legendary Saban at Crimson Tide is an honor in itself, Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt has now waxed lyrical on DeBoer.

Earlier this week, Klatt made an appearance on "Next Round Show" via WJOX 94.5 FM in Birmingham, Alabama, and compared DeBoer to legendary golfer and 15-time Major winner Tiger Woods.

"What I like about Kalen is he’s got a little Tiger Woods in him,” Klatt said. “I’m not trying to say he’s the greatest of all time, but Tiger used to talk about ‘I need to be technically proficient at my craft, but I also need to learn how to be great at winning.’ This is why we see he was great at winning."

Klatt explained that DeBoer also has an incredible winning record in his coaching career:

"Kalen DeBoer is competitively proficient. This guy wins at an insanely high level everywhere he has been, and for that reason I’m bullish. I think that it will work.

"I think it will just look a little different. I am happy for him that he’s recruited at such a high level here and gotten on that swing. The fact he is succeeding in the recruiting trail is a big feather in his cap.”

Saban left behind a winning tradition at Alabama, which included six national championships across 17 years. Although the Tide faithful will be patient with DeBoer, he will need to win the big honors to become a fan-favorite in Alabama.

A glimpse into Kalen DeBoer's coaching career

Alabama Crimson Tide HC Kalen DeBoer

Kalen DeBoer took up his first head coaching job at Sioux Falls in 2005. He compiled an impressive 67-3 overall record across five seasons with the team and won three NAIA championships.

DeBoer got his next head coaching gig with Fresno State in 2020 and compiled a 12-6 record across two years with the Bulldogs.

In 2022, De Boer was appointed as coach of the Washington Huskies. He led the program to a 25-3 record in two seasons and reached the national championship game in 2024, but his team lost to Michigan at the final hurdle.

Heading into his first year at Alabama, DeBoer has compiled a 104-12 overall record. He has yet to win a national title, but his CV shows that he is a serial winner.