How a Nordstrom employee got early scoop on Kalen DeBoer joining Alabama

A Seattle department store employee knew Kalen DeBoer would be the next coach of Alabama football before the world did.

Nicole Tendler DeBoer revealed how in the latest episode of ‘The Tides that Bind’ documentary on FOX Nation that was released Wednesday.

She was in a mall when she got the text Jan. 12. Her husband would be leaving Washington to take the job in Tuscaloosa, vacant after Nick Saban retired.

The DeBoers would be leaving in about 3 hours.

“I swung into Nordstrom,” Nicole Tendler DeBoer said. “We don’t have anything red. I’m like, ‘I’m going to try to get him a couple red ties or something just so we were prepared.‘”

She went to the register to check out, not saying anything. The cashier looks at her. The conversation went something like this:

These are not purple.

They are not.

These are red.

Well it’s crimson actually.

Once realizing the DeBoers were leaving Washington for Alabama, the cashier had one more thing to say.

Thank you for everything you guys did and best of luck.

Nick Kelly is an Alabama beat writer for AL.com and the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X and Instagram.