Alabama Football Coach Kalen DeBoer Introduced to Fans at Coleman Coliseum.
TUSCALOOSA, Alabama: When Kalen DeBoer arrived in Tuscaloosa and was met by hundreds of supporters at the airport, he was first exposed to the fervor of Alabama fans.
However, when athletic director Greg Byrne presented the new Alabama football head coach at midcourt during the basketball game on Tuesday night inside Coleman Coliseum, he got a true taste of what he’s in for with the Crimson Tide faithful.
Standing ovations and tremendous acclaim greeted DeBoer as he took the mic. He hurried over to the student area and gave a speech to the entire assembly.
“It is so awesome to be here, it happened really fast,” said DeBoer. “We have a lot of exciting news to share, regarding both our personnel and recruitment.
I am eager to become deeply involved in this community. What a unique location. What a unique location. Alabama is the norm. Alabama is the norm. I’m eager to arrive here.
Let’s continue to cheer on each and every sports team. “Roll Tide!” There will be updates to this story. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. Copyright ABG-SI LLC. Copyright 2020 All Rights Reserved.
Travaris Robinson staying at Georgia could impact Alabama star’s future.
New Georgia defensive coordinator Travaris Robinson had a whirlwind of a couple of days after legendary Alabama head coach Nick Saban announced his retirement. That sentiment was — of course — true for much of the college football world, but few outside of new Crimson Tide coach Kalen DeBoer might understand the churn Robinson was in.
Robinson took the UGA job in the days following Saban’s retirement. He was previously Alabama’s cornerbacks coach and was regarded as one of the best recruiters on the Crimson Tide’s staff.
To DeBoer’s credit, when he got the Alabama head-coaching gig, he immediately brought Robinson back to Tuscaloosa to see if the up-and-coming coach might stay with the Tide as his new defensive coordinator. The two met on Sunday, but on Monday, ESPN’s Chris Low reported that despite DeBoer’s advances, Robinson will stick with Kirby Smart and run UGA’s defense next season.
That’s a huge win for Georgia, and for Alabama, the loss of Robinson can’t be understated. Retaining a coach and recruiter of Robinson’s skill set would have been a massive help for DeBoer as he transitions to life in Tuscaloosa.
Per ESPN’s Tom VanHaaren, though, Robinson could have also helped Alabama hang on to star safety Caleb Downs, who is undecided if he’ll return to Alabama in the wake of Saban’s retirement.
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