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This is an opinion column.
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It takes a very special person to give up his great coaching job in Washington and move to the Deep South to follow in Nick Saban’s footsteps at the University of Alabama.
Here’s what I’ve been trying to figure out for months: Is Kalen DeBoer insane or just crazy?
Because someone has to be one or the other – or maybe a bit of both – to approach the ledge that overlooks this snake pit.
This is nothing against DeBoer, who by all appearances appears to be a perfectly balanced human being, but just look at the history.
They say it’s hard to follow a legend, but in Alabama it’s proven impossible. Didn’t anyone tell DeBoer about Ray Perkins? Didn’t anyone tell DeBoer about Bill Curry?
College football is back, friends and sports fans, and life is suddenly so much better. The summer air is thinning, faces are grinning, and everyone is still a winner, except Florida State.
Everything is changing in college football this season, for better or worse. There’s a 12-team playoff. Texas and Oklahoma are in the SEC. Players are paid to go, paid to stay, but according to the NCAA, they still aren’t paid to play. At the conference level, the Power 5 is now just the Awkward 4.
In the midst of all this — (WAVING HANDS IN THE AIR) — confusing stuff, Saban has quit coaching… and is now in the media… but still has an office in Alabama… and is still paid by Alabama… but is apparently not a spy for Alabama, as he takes the guise of a TV commentator for ESPN.
And then Saban is replaced by DeBoer, who is originally from South Dakota but then – (LOOKS AT HIS BIOGRAPHY FOR THE 9TH TIME IN DISBELIEF) – coached a total of four years at Fresno State and Washington before taking the place of a man many consider to be the best college football coach of all time.
As Saban might say, it’s a lot to process.
Is DeBoer headed for the toughest job in the history of the sport? Look at it this way: Not even Saban wants to be a college football coach anymore, and he’s won seven national championships.
Kirby Smart, who was Saban’s assistant at Alabama, is now considered the new best coach in college football. Smart’s Georgia is the top-ranked team in the preseason. Did someone forget to tell DeBoer that Smart was 1-5 against Saban?
At this point in his career, DeBoer has only one thing in common with Smart: They both made their fortunes beating teams whose quarterback was Bo Nix.
DeBoer is a good coach, but nothing could have prepared him for the role of Saban’s successor.
Saban won the SEC in two of his final three seasons at Alabama, including last December, but that wasn’t good enough by his standards.
Alabama is unlike any other job. It’s not enough to win. Fans have become so spoiled that they complain if Alabama doesn’t win by enough. DeBoer begins his tenure with the Crimson Tide on Saturday with a game against Western Kentucky. If Alabama isn’t up at least five points at halftime, people are going to start losing their minds.
DeBoer is the same age as Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin. They are both 49. Here’s my advice to Alabama’s new coach: Never lose three games in a season and never lose to Kiffin.
Alabama begins the season ranked 5th. Ole Miss is ranked 6th.
When Curry lost to Ole Miss, someone threw a brick through his office window.** DeBoer could win the SEC and then lose to Kiffin in the playoffs, and people would demand his job.
How difficult will this impossible task be for Alabama’s new coach? It will be harder than following Paul Bryant.
Perkins was the coach who followed Bryant at Alabama. Perkins won 10 games in his third season and that wasn’t good enough. He moved on to the NFL. Curry, the coach who followed Perkins at Alabama, won 10 games in his third season but resigned.
However, it is unfair to compare DeBoer’s situation with that of Perkins and Curry. They had it easier.
**All-points bulletin for the notorious brick thrower. Email news tips to [email protected].
MAILBAG
Do you have a question for Joe? Do you want to get something off your chest? Send Joe an email with your questions for the mailbag. Let him hear your opinion. Ask him anything.
Georgia Tech opened the season with a win over FSU in Dublin, Ireland. Sunday’s column asked readers where they would like to see Alabama and Auburn play internationally. The answers were entertaining. One reader even suggested that Auburn should return to Havana, Cuba, for a game against Miami. The Tigers may need the help of Senator Tommy Tuberville to make that wish come true.
Auburn faced Villanova in Havana in 1937. As an encore, Auburn will defeat communism.
The best email today goes to RR from Franklin, Tennessee.
RR writes …
Alabama vs. Notre Dame in Paris, France.
Alabama vs. Southern Cal in Athens, Greece.
Auburn vs. Miami in Havana, Cuba.
Auburn vs. Michigan in Novosibirsk, Russia (Siberia).
LSU vs. Clemson in Death Valley, California.
Texas vs. Oklahoma in Mexico City.
Kentucky vs. West Virginia in Milan, Italy.
Joseph Goodman is the leading sports columnist for the Alabama Media Group and author of the book “We want Bama: A season of hope and the creation of Nick Saban’s Ultimate Team.”
