The Kalen DeBoer era is here. The University of Alabama formally announced DeBoer, a South Dakota native who’s led Washington for two seasons, as its 28th head coach on Friday night.

“I have always had an incredible respect for Alabama football and its commitment to excellence,” DeBoer said in a release issued by UA. “The tradition-rich history of this program is unmatched across the landscape of college athletics, and I look forward to continuing that moving forward. Following Coach Saban is an honor. He has been the standard for college football, and his success is unprecedented.

“I would not have left Washington for just any school. The chance to lead the football program at The University of Alabama is the opportunity of a lifetime. My family and I feel truly blessed and look forward to becoming a part of the Tuscaloosa community.”

The financial details of DeBoer’s contract have yet to be made public. Alabama’s Board of Trustees will have to agree to the proposal. DeBoer was earning $4.2 million annually from Washington.

Crimson Tide athletic director Greg Byrne announced he wouldn’t speak publically until a successor to Nick Saban was hired and, roughly three hours after news broke on social media, he commented on DeBoer’s arrival to Tuscaloosa.

“The plane has left Seattle,” he tweeted along with a photo of smoke billowing from Archibald and Woodrow’s BBQ in Tuscaloosa.

Byrne, per the statement: “We are excited to welcome Kalen and Nicole DeBoer, and their daughters, Alexis and Avery, to The University of Alabama. Coach DeBoer has proven he is a winner and has done an incredible job as a head coach at each of his stops. One of the things I told our team the other day is we are going to get someone who is not only a great coach with the Xs and Os, but also someone who cares about his players and someone I’d want my sons to play for, just like I would have wanted them to play for Coach Saban.

“We got that in Coach DeBoer. He is ready to get to work, and we look forward to him leading the Alabama Crimson Tide football program for years to come.”

DeBoer replaces one of the greatest coaches of all time. Saban won 206 games, including six national titles and nine SEC Championships. Saban’s full-effort reputation followed him to the very end, where he was reportedly interviewing candidates for the team’s vacant wide receiver position. Saban said he’ll have an office in Bryant-Denny Stadium. Time will tell if it has a view of the field for DeBoer’s debut against Western Kentucky on Aug. 31.

DeBoer comes with a successful track record himself, winning from the NAIA level at South Dakota to Fresno State and, most recently, with the Huskies. His career record as a head coach is 104-12.

“With great enthusiasm for the future, we are confident that Coach DeBoer will uphold the proud tradition and standard of excellence synonymous with Alabama Athletics. I extend my sincere gratitude to Athletic Director Greg Byrne for his exceptional leadership throughout this process. Additionally, we appreciate Chancellor Finis St. John and The University of Alabama System Board of Trustees for their continued support of our great institution,” UA president Stuart R. Bell said.

DeBoer won three NAIA championships with South Dakota. He was named 2023 Coach of The Year, guiding a top-15 offense to the national championship game.

Nick Alvarez is a reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @nick_a_alvarez or email him at [email protected].