Kalen DeBoer’s first season at Alabama didn’t exactly start with a warm welcome. After a Week 1 loss to Florida State, some fans in Tuscaloosa were already questioning whether he was the right man to follow in Nick Saban’s towering footsteps. But fast forward to Friday night in Norman, and DeBoer delivered a statement win - one that not only silenced early doubters but also etched his name into College Football Playoff history.
With Alabama’s 34-24 victory over Oklahoma, DeBoer became the first head coach in the CFP era to win a playoff game with two different programs. That’s not just a quirky stat - it’s a testament to his adaptability, leadership, and ability to build winners fast.
In 2023, just his second year at Washington, DeBoer guided the Huskies to a semifinal win over Texas in the Sugar Bowl before falling to Michigan in the National Championship. Now, one year later, he’s back in the CFP - this time with the Crimson Tide.
That kind of back-to-back success, at two different programs, is almost unheard of in modern college football. Why?
Because coaches who reach the CFP usually don’t leave. The four-team playoff format made it hard enough to get there once, let alone win.
And when a coach does manage to break through, most schools do everything they can to keep him. DeBoer, however, stepped into a rare opening: the Alabama job, freshly vacated by Saban’s retirement and arguably the most coveted position in the sport.
Only a handful of coaches have ever made CFP appearances and then left for another college head coaching job without being fired. That list includes Jimbo Fisher (Florida State to Texas A&M), Brian Kelly (Notre Dame to LSU), and Luke Fickell (Cincinnati to Wisconsin).
Of those three, only DeBoer has managed to return to the CFP. Fisher and Kelly have since been fired.
Fickell’s seat in Madison is heating up fast. DeBoer?
He’s thriving.
That puts into perspective just how rare - and impressive - his accomplishment is. Winning at multiple programs isn’t just about X’s and O’s.
It’s about culture, recruiting, staff building, and the ability to navigate high expectations in completely different environments. DeBoer has done it in Seattle and now in Tuscaloosa, two places with very different football DNA.
With his win over Oklahoma, DeBoer improved to 2-1 in CFP games. That ties him with Jim Harbaugh, Ed Orgeron, and Urban Meyer - all of whom earned their wins in the original four-team playoff format.
He also matches Steve Sarkisian and James Franklin, who picked up their CFP victories in the new 12-team structure. The only coaches ahead of him on the all-time CFP wins list?
Some of the biggest names of the era: Nick Saban (9), Dabo Swinney (6), Kirby Smart (5), Ryan Day (5), and Marcus Freeman (3).
Of course, DeBoer is still a long way from touching Saban’s legacy. But he’s already outpaced several peers who’ve walked a similar path. The Alabama job comes with enormous pressure, and DeBoer has met that challenge head-on, not just maintaining the Tide’s elite status but pushing them forward in a new playoff landscape.
Next up: a Rose Bowl showdown with Indiana in the CFP quarterfinals. Alabama heads into that one as a touchdown underdog - a rare position for a program that’s used to being the favorite. But if we’ve learned anything about DeBoer, it’s that he knows how to win when it matters.
And right now, he’s doing it better than just about anyone not named Saban.