A unique perspective on Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer vs. Tennessee’s Josh Heupel

At least one television in Iowa will show Alabama football vs. Tennessee on Saturday. Mike Busch will make sure of that.

Busch, a long-time football coach, will be in the Hawkeye State for a family event this weekend. But once 2:30 p.m. CT hits and No. 7 Alabama plays No. 11 Tennessee at Neyland Stadium, Busch will be in front of a television and watching ABC. He wouldn’t be doing anything else then. Busch has too much passion and pride for South Dakota.

Busch will take in this year’s edition of the Third Saturday in October rivalry with a unique perspective. Decades ago in the Mount Rushmore state, Busch coached Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer; Busch also coached against Tennessee coach Josh Heupel.

DeBoer played for Milbank High School in Milbank, South Dakota, graduating in 1993. Right after, about 90 minutes west along Highway 12, Heupel played for Central High School in Aberdeen, South Dakota, graduating in 1996.

“To have two kids within about an hour and a half to two hours of one another,” Busch told AL.com, “on the same highway in South Dakota, to be at Tennessee and Alabama is a great story for the state of South Dakota.”

Few can tell it like Busch.

Kalen DeBoer and Josh Heupel. (AL.com illustration / Photos by Associated Press)AL.com illustration / Photos by Associated Press

Kalen DeBoer: Punter, linebacker and more

Milbank became Busch’s first head coaching job, when he was about 26. He soon learned he didn’t have to worry about finding a kicker.

Milbank had then-sophomore Kalen DeBoer.

Holy cow we have a kicker for the next two or three years.

“Kalen came in and just seemed like a natural kicking the ball through the goal post,” Busch said. “You’re not always going for 2-point conversions or things like that.”

More than 30 years later, Busch said he can’t recall DeBoer missing any field goals or extra points. And those were far from DeBoer’s only duties. He also punted. Busch thinks DeBoer averaged 40-plus yards a punt. Busch also turned to DeBoer on defense; He played linebacker and called the defense.

“He was a bigger kid and could run,” Busch said. “He could play power football against the iso and power, or he could run sideline to sideline. He had that good instinct to understand scheme and plays.”

DeBoer shined at wide receiver, too. That’s the primary position he went on to play at Sioux Falls College. Busch praised DeBoer’s hands, hand-eye coordination and ability to make easy and big catches.

Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer

Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer cheers his team after the first touchdown of the season during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Western Kentucky, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt) APAP

“He was just really smooth,” Busch said. “He was a leader. Quiet leader. But always, we knew who was our go-to guy.”

DeBoer specialized in running fade routes.

“The ball would be thrown over his shoulder and you’d think the ball is going to get carried out of bounds, and he could fade and see the ball and adjust to the ball with his body and catch it over his back shoulder and make big plays from there,” Busch said.

DeBoer eventually combined forces with his cousin who played quarterback. That combination led to plenty of catches for DeBoer.

“It’s just like the quarterback and receiver in the backyard,” Busch said. “They seemed to make plays. Even when the ball wasn’t a perfect slant route or right there, Kalen would go get the ball.”

Josh Heupel: Bringing the West Coast to South Dakota

Busch left Milbank and took a coaching job at Mitchell High School in the fall of 1994. Soon, he would face Aberdeen Central and coach against the Heupel kid.

With both schools members of the Eastern South Dakota Conference, Busch faced Heupel twice and believes Mitchell finished 1-1: A win at Aberdeen Central and a loss at Mitchell.

Heupel and Aberdeen Central provided much more trouble during the 1995 season, Heupel’s senior year. After a 1-7 season in 1994, Central flipped its record and went 7-1 the next season, according to old Aberdeen Central yearbooks.

“He had a big night against us from what I remember,” Busch said. “We felt like we had a good game plan, but he was just that talented his senior year.”

Tennessee vs. Florida 2024

Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel watches his players during warmups before an NCAA college football game against Florida, Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024, in Knoxville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)AP

Heupel and Aberdeen Central were running the West Coast offense. “That midrange, medium passing game,” Busch said. Busch, who played in a similar offense at Idaho State before he later played for South Dakota State, figured that knowledge would help him and his staff against Aberdeen Central. But having familiarity with the concepts didn’t mean it became easy to stop Heupel.

“For a high school quarterback reading and understanding man under and blitz coverage and Cover 0 to Cover 1, I think Josh really had a handle on that,” Busch said. “So did their staff. And they took advantage of whatever coverage they saw that night.”

Heupel never really got rattled. At least not from what Busch saw.

Outside of having coached against Heupel, Busch doesn’t know him all too well. Nonetheless, there’s still pride in seeing Heupel succeed. South Dakota pride.

“You just think that these coaches are coming from the bigger towns,” Busch said. “‘They’re not going to come from South Dakota.’ It really doesn’t matter where you’re coming from. You could be the president from a small town, and you could be the head coach at Alabama or Tennessee from a small town and make your path and be successful.”

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