Kalen DeBoer has already matched Nick Saban’s 25-8 record through 33 games at Alabama, setting up an intriguing storyline ahead of Saturday’s clash with Georgia. But Stephen A. Smith isn’t impressed by the numbers alone. To him, DeBoer’s matching Saban’s start proves little about replacing a legend.
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During the October 7 episode of ESPN’s ‘First Take,’ Smith was asked whether his opinion of Kalen DeBoer had changed now that he had matched Nick Saban’s record through the same stretch at Alabama. His answer? Absolutely not. Without hesitation, Smith fired back, “Not a da-n bit. Means nothing to me. Nothing.”
“I never said Kalen DeBoer was a bad coach. I know he’s a da-n good coach. What I said was, “Are you the guy to succeed Saban at Alabama?” Those rough riders that they are. No matter what the challenge is, no matter what the circumstances are, you roll up in there in hostile confines, you’re the pariah, and you walk out there with your chest sticking out, like, Yeah, that’s who the hell we are. I ain’t seen that yet,” said Smith.
The records may look similar, but they certainly are not, and Alabama fans know it. Under Saban, the Crimson Tide might have faltered in his first year in 2007, but what happened after that was written into history. Saban’s Alabama became such a force that opponents felt like they were walking into a fight they had no business winning.
The 36-0 demolition of Auburn in 2008, the 32-13 dismantling of Florida in the 2009 SEC Championship Game, and the 21-0 shutout of LSU in the 2012 national championship: Saban’s Alabama was something else, a force that teams feared then and still remember today.
By comparison, DeBoer’s tenure has featured a thrilling 41-34 win over Georgia, but losses like the 40-35 collapse against Vanderbilt, the 24-3 stumble against Oklahoma, and the 38-3 humiliation against Indiana have left a very different impression. This is exactly why Smith is not sure about Kalen DeBoer being the replacement for Nick Saban.
Back in July, he made a similar statement when asked about Alabama’s head-coaching situation, making it clear that, in his eyes, Nick Saban could never truly be replaced.
“We’re talking about the successor to Nick Saban. He (Kalen DeBoer) has lost four games each season, they were lucky to get to the postseason… he ain’t the guy,” Smith said on First Take.
His comments clearly reached the Bama head coach, who wasted no time firing back with a diplomatic response to the ESPN analyst.
“We’ve been fully embracing what the expectations are here at Alabama. That’s what we all signed up for. That’s why we came here. So I guess that surprises me to have it come across that way,” DeBoer said in an interview with ABC 33/40 on July 27 about the criticism surrounding his interviews.
It must be noted that Nick Saban’s Alabama won its first national championship in his third season in 2009, and DeBoer is now in his third season as well. In 2009, Alabama won its first five games of the season, and this year, the Crimson Tide has done the same.
But narratives and tags, especially from broadcasters like Smith, usually change with titles. It doesn’t matter that Alabama is undefeated so far. All the earlier complaints about DeBoer’s team not being tough, and he has led the Tide to two road SEC wins so far.
The offense is finally figuring itself out, and Kane Wommack has done wonders on the other side of the ball. While Saban comparisons will continue till DeBoer is at Tuscaloosa, he has another chance to further solidify his position against Georgia in Week 6. Fortunately, the Alabama head coach knows a thing or two about getting the better of Kirby Smart in the regular season.