Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer era will finally shift from the headlines to the sideline this weekend in Tuscaloosa.
The fifth-ranked Crimson Tide’s new football coach — and Nick Saban’s successor — will lead the reigning Southeastern Conference champions onto the field against an opponent for the first time when Western Kentucky visits Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday night.
The 2024 season opener is the first real look at DeBoer’s new team, even if much more telling games lie ahead. The Tide are favored by 30 1/2 points against the Hilltoppers.
Much of the offseason talk has been about replacing a coach who led Alabama to six national titles during his 17 seasons with the program after previously winning one at LSU. This week, it’s about the team and how it performs on the field under a coach who led Washington to the national championship game last season before falling short against Michigan.
“When you’re prepared well, you’re going to be confident,” DeBoer said. “That’s the whole key, and it just doesn’t start this week. It’s something that’s been ongoing since the staff got here, since the first day of workouts in the winter.