Alabama set to hire Washington's Kalen DeBoer as next head coach following Nick Saban’s retirement: report

There is an heir to Nick Saban's throne.

Reports say Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer has agreed to become the next head coach of the Alabama football program.

Saban retired Wednesday after 17 years with the Crimson Tide and coaching in some capacity since 1973.

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Washington Huskies head coach Kalen DeBoer against the Texas Longhorns during the Alamo Bowl at the Alamodome Dec. 29, 2022, in San Antonio.  (Adam Davis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

DeBoer, 49, has some large shoes to fill. Saban won six national championships with Alabama and one with LSU, and his seven titles are the most by any coach in college football history.

But DeBoer knows what it's like to be in the limelight. He just coached his Huskies to the College Football Playoff national championship game, which they lost to No. 1 Michigan, 34-13, in a battle of undefeated teams.

This was only DeBoer's second season with the Huskies after he spent two seasons as the head coach at Fresno State, including the shortened 2020 season. He also spent five years as the head coach of Sioux Falls.

DeBoer's head coaching record is 104-12.

ESPN reports Washington "made a strong push" to keep DeBoer, offering to double his $4.2 million salary. He signed an extension with the Huskies through 2028 last November.

There were rumors a Pac-12 rival of Washington, Oregon's Dan Lanning, would get the job, but he announced he was staying in the Pacific Northwest.

Washington Huskies head coach Kalen DeBoer hoists the PAC-12 championship trophy after defeating the Oregon Ducks, 34-31, Dec. 1, 2023, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. (Marc Sanchez/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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Saban boasts an all-time record of 292-71-1 at the college level, including a 19-12 record in bowl games and a 9-5 record in the College Football Playoff. At Alabama, he went 206-29.

"The University of Alabama has been a very special place to Terry and me," Saban said in a statement. "We have enjoyed every minute of our 17 years being the head coach at Alabama as well as becoming a part of the Tuscaloosa community. It is not just about how many games we won and lost, but it’s about the legacy and how we went about it. 

"We always tried to do it the right way. The goal was always to help players create more value for their future, be the best player they could be and be more successful in life because they were part of the program. Hopefully, we have done that, and we will always consider Alabama our home."

Head coach Nick Saban of the Alabama Crimson Tide in the second quarter against the Michigan Wolverines during the CFP semifinal Rose Bowl Jan. 1, 2024, in Pasadena, Calif.  (Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

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Nine of Saban's 11 SEC titles came with the Crimson Tide, and his 292 wins are fifth-most in Division I history.

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