Kalen DeBoer “As You Get Older, You Have Perspective”

Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer talked with The Next Round Live inside the Mal Moore Athletic Facility on Wednesday. He discussed Alabama and what it means to coach for a program like the Crimson Tide.

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For most people, Kalen DeBoer's story would be a surreal moment as they're sitting and being interviewed live as the head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide. Not for Kalen DeBoer. He likes to put everything in perspective.

"As you get older, you have perspective. Fortunately, I've had a lot of experiences where I've got some perspectives on some things that are happening in life. A lot of it revolves around what you do for others, or what the experience is for them. Those were incredible experiences, winning the Pac-12, playing for a national championship, and seeing the guys rush the field after the Sugar Bowl. Those are the moments you do what you do for, and the fanbases and all that. Personally, there's an understanding of coming to Alabama and what that all means. you don't have time to sit there and process, necessarily, and predict what's going to happen. You're just in the moment and working where your feet are at every day, and you're just giving your all like you have for the last 20-something years you've been a football coach."

Kalen DeBoer seems like a laid-back, media-friendly head coach at the podium and in interviews. This might worry some Crimson Tide fans, but it shouldn't. DeBoer still has a fire, "There’s a fire don’t get me wrong,” DeBoer said. “There's a fire and there's a competitiveness that guys see. I think they see that already in the workouts. They feel that in how we meet in team meetings, and the standard that exists. It's still the same standard, it's just messaged a different way, I think. I just feel like you are who you are.”

Despite the perceived lack of fire to the media, DeBoer will still hold his players accountable in practice and for their actions on and off the field. DeBoer said he and Alabama will focus on repetition and positive reinforcement. Where did the ideas of positive reinforcement come from? DeBoer said it originated from his high school coaches, "What I had for coaches growing up in high school, they were just positive reinforcers,” DeBoer said. “If you didn’t do something right in a drill, I’m thinking about basketball and football in particular, I mean you were redoing it. The reinforcement of when you were good was even greater when things went well."

DeBoer mentioned something that Coach Saban also emphasized during his time at Alabama: Not practicing until you get it right, but rather, practicing until you can't get it wrong, “That’s what I’m really trying to do is show our guys what it should look like and hold them accountable to that. We talked about practicing until you can’t get it wrong. You practice until you can always get it right. Just keep with it. You always get better with reps, and so we talk a lot about the repetition.”

DeBoer listed his three expectations for his coaches, "teach, critique, and demand." For his players, "grind, refine, and compete." Alabama fans will take solace in DeBoer's attention to detail and his desire to hold his players and coaches accountable.

DeBoer also mentioned that offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic is doing a great job and living up to the recommendations that he received.

Alabama players and media will see Kalen DeBoer and the new-look Crimson Tide beginning on March 4th when Alabama hits the practice field for the first time without Coach Saban since 2006. Select practices will be available for viewing by the Alabama media.