TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The old adage that it's better to follow the man who followed the man than to follow the man isn't lost on Kalen DeBoer.
DeBoer has heard that one a time or two since replacing the legendary Nick Saban last month as Alabama's head football coach.
But he said Wednesday that the honor of being the one chosen to replace Saban far outweighs any pressure he might feel. «I look at it as a privilege, and not pressure, to be able to come to a place like this,» DeBoer told ESPN. «I understand that there are expectations that are extremely high.
But think about what the alternative is — to be at a place that doesn't have expectations. »That's not what I'm looking for, not what I've gone through to get to this point." DeBoer guided Washington to the College Football Playoff national championship game in his second season in Seattle before losing to Michigan.