"We know that we need to be better": Alabama HC Kalen DeBoer admits to falling short of expectations in 2024

Kalen DeBoer's first season at Alabama didn't go as planned. He finished the regular season with a 9-4 record, missing out on the 12-team college football playoff. He also lost the ReliaQuest Bowl to Michigan, falling short of 10 wins in his inaugural season.

This was considered by many a below-par performance for an Alabama program that dominated college football under DeBoer's predecessor, Nick Saban. DeBoer also admitted to falling short of expectations while speaking to reporters at the Senior Bowl practice on Tuesday in Mobile, Alabama.

“We know that we need to be better,” DeBoer said. “That’s the expectation I had from day one, is that we perform at a championship level, and we certainly fell short of that. Whether you’re 0-12 or 12-0 in a regular season, you’re always gonna really critique and be detailed on how you’ve gotta improve.”

Kalen DeBoer has been active in making preparations for the upcoming college football season in the last couple of weeks. He has revamped the team’s defensive staff, strengthened the roster through the transfer portal and remained active on the recruiting trail.

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Kalen DeBoer expresses optimism ahead of the 2025 season

The 2025 college football season will be a defining one for Kalen DeBoer at Alabama in terms of whether or not he's a capable replacement for Nick Saban in Tuscaloosa. Ahead of the challenge, the coach is optimistic about his second season with the Crimson Tide.

“There’s a lot of good things already happening,” DeBoer said on Tuesday. “It already feels a lot different internally as we turn the page into 2025, from the first team meeting, which was less than two weeks after our last bowl game.

“Just excited about what’s happening, the work that’s being put in. I haven’t had a chance to be around the guys a lot, just because we’ve been on the road recruiting. You only get a few days here, especially as a head coach, the only time of the year now in January you can get out.”

Alabama got off to a brilliant start under Kalen DeBoer. However, a shocking upset against Vanderbilt following a massive win over Georgia set the season in disarray. Further losses to Tennessee and Oklahoma hampered the team's postseason aspirations.

The coach has previously emphasized the importance of learning from last season’s struggles, which were marked by inconsistency. Applying those lessons will be crucial to achieving success in 2025.