Tide introduce Kalen DeBoer, who 'can't wait for journey ahead' - ESPN

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — University of Alabama president Stuart Bell marked a «new chapter in the Crimson Tide football program» Saturday by introducing its 28th head coach: Kalen DeBoer, the Associated Press Coach of the Year who this past season led Washington to a berth in the College Football Playoff National Championship game.

But Bell first had to acknowledge the outgoing coach, Nick Saban, who won the AP award twice — to go along with six national championships — during his 17 seasons at Alabama.

«Your legacy will forever be interwoven with the fabric of the University,» Bell said of Saban, arguably the greatest college football coach of all time with seven national titles (including one with LSU) and a record of 307-88-1.

A full-throated applause interrupted Bell's speech for a moment.

Saban's presence was felt throughout the afternoon's festivities. The five-time SEC Coach of the Year wore a crimson sports coat and sat in the front row, to athletic director Greg Byrne's left as he spoke inside Bryant-Denny Stadium. Before listing DeBoer's credentials and talking through the hiring process, Byrne thanked Saban and alluded to a future celebration for him and his wife, Terry.

Beyond the wall of glass behind the dais, a statue of Saban stood along the walk of champions — a testament to the coach's greatness as well as the expectations awaiting his successor.

«When I look at places I want to be, it's about winning championships,» DeBoer said. «That's the expectation, and [I] accept [that] as a privilege to try to uphold.»

DeBoer credited Saban for laying a strong foundation, calling him «the best in the business to ever do it.»

«100 percent access, OK?» he said of Saban's involvement moving forward. «I'd be a fool if that