Kalen DeBoer faces tough questions in Washington interview

Kalen DeBoer last did a spot with local Washington-area radio in the hours following his now-former team’s National Championship loss to Michigan.

Now, the Alabama Crimson Tide head coach, DeBoer, joined Dave “Softy” Mahler and Hugh Millen on local KJR radio 93.3 FM nearly six months later.

Neither wasted any time pressing DeBoer, asking questions he left unanswered after his departure . After DeBoer detailed what the last six months have been like for him since he left for Tuscaloosa, he was asked point blank by the radio hosts to talk to the fans, who were angry and hurt by his decision to succeed one of the greatest coaches in modern college football history.

Specifically, they wondered why DeBoer didn’t do the bare minimum of penning a letter to the Husky fanbase.

“First of all…the time for me and my family, those two years are something that are gonna be some of the most special in our life,” DeBoer said. “Just the experiences, the relationships, the memories that we have will never be forgotten. You know, you’re talking about a letter or something like that, I think you just go back to that weekend and it was a Friday; you accept a job. And I think the whole focus had to be on the people there (in Tuscaloosa).

“I refer to the landscape of college football and the portal and it being the contact period on a team that just lost a legendary coach in Coach Saban. A lot of things are happening fast, and I think that pouring every minute and every second I had into the players, I think it paid off. I think it helped in us retaining some guys on the team. I think it helped us efficiently hire a great coaching staff. I think there’s a window that you kind of hit on to do something like that. I guess I’d never done it in the past at any other places. And I love every other place I’ve been to. It’s part of my journey, and I know it was a special year at (Washington).

“You know, nothing intentional that way. I have tried to use and have been fortunate enough to have pretty much interview on top of interview, whether it’s local or national, and even in the press conferences, to try to continue to express my appreciation for (Washington) and everyone that makes that program go…”

Seeking to address lingering questions and concerns among Washington fans, the radio hosts inquired about the specific timeline of events surrounding DeBoer’s decision to leave for Alabama. This included when he became aware of Saban’s potential retirement and the subsequent job offer, as Washington Huskies on SI promptly noted that some fans suspected these events happened before the championship game.

But despite DeBoer sharing an agent with Saban—Jimmy Sexton—he insisted that Alabama Athletic Director Greg Byrne didn’t contact him until Wednesday, Jan. 10, nearly 48 hours after Washington lost 34-13 in the National Title game. DeBoer said he interviewed that Thursday and wasn’t offered the job until that Friday.

“That’s really the timeline, it’s as simple as that,” he said. “I found out just like everybody else in the country and was kind of blown away when Coach Saban announced his retirement, and it became public.”

Pressed about whether he knew about the impending Alabama coaching vacancy before the championship game, DeBoer emphatically stated that he had no prior knowledge and that the speculation was unfounded.

“Zero percent chance,” added DeBoer.”There were no distractions. I’ve always prided myself on having 100 percent focus, and that’s exactly what I and my staff had, whether it be that game or any other games. I know I’ve been asked this question a few times, so I know it’s out there, but there was never any indication. We were 100 percent focused on our team. And there was never an indication that any opportunities, such as Alabama, would even pop up.

“I take pride. I know I gave it everything I had. That was a heartbreaker just because I think we had high expectations and went in there feeling that we could win that thing. And so, that was a hard night, not just for fans and players, but coaches as well.”

But there was an opportunity for DeBoer to sign an extension with Washington. Sometime after his first win against Oregon, reports surfaced that AD Troy Dannen approached him — now at Nebraska — about inking an extension. And he was asked Tuesday why he didn’t take that deal.

“It wasn’t kind of where it needed to be at that point,” he said of the contract offer. “And then it kind of led into the latter part of the season…And I really thought in my heart that we’d get to a point at the end of the season where we could get this all resolved and be in a great spot. Like I said earlier, I just wanted to put 100 percent into just being locked in with the team, having full confidence and still building that relationship at the time with Troy Dannen.

“I can’t express enough appreciation for all the leadership at U-Dub, whether it be (USC AD) Jen Cohen, who hired me, or President (Ana Mari) Cauce, or the board there. I want that to be the way that I feel, but I understand you’re asking questions about the timeline. I can’t remember even specific dates; it’s just generally speaking. I just felt like it got to the point where I didn’t want those distractions for myself and the team.”

DeBoer admitted that he had very few face-to-face interactions with Dannen and that his relationship didn’t even come close to the one he had with Cohen, but that’s understandably so based on the time that they were together. And based on Dannen not hiring DeBoer at Washington — and later jettisoning for Nebraska himself — it made it that much easier for him to leave.

DeBoer acknowledged the challenges facing the Washington program after his departure. While crediting Jedd Fisch for mitigating losses, the radio hosts pointed out the complete turnover of the offensive line. DeBoer attributed this to the current landscape of college football, particularly the transfer portal and early recruiting periods. He expressed disappointment in the situation, emphasizing his desire for the program’s continued success.

“Unfortunately, that’s not what you want,” he said. “I want the place to continue to grow. I’ll tell you this: I’ll be rooting for Washington and those programs I mentioned and the places I’ve been forever. Obviously, if we’re playing each other, I got specific interests involved for myself, my team, and Alabama. I wish them well and hope that he can build it back quickly.”

However, DeBoer’s decision to keep Tybo Rogers on the roster also placed the program in a precarious situation.

Notably, during an otherwise candid interview, DeBoer declined to explain why he chose to play a former Husky running back accused of rape in both the Sugar Bowl and the CFP Championship after benching him for the Pac-12 Championship game.

Under Fisch, Rogers was arrested and dismissed from the team during spring football.

“Softy, I totally appreciate the question. I understand, especially for people that aren’t close to the situations and questions that they have,” DeBoer said. “I put out a statement in the spring in regards to say, but I’d just say it was important to me to follow the procedures and protocols that were in place, and I’m 100 percent confident we did that.”

DeBoer’s responses offered some clarity but also left many questions unanswered.

While he expressed appreciation for his time at Washington and defended his decision-making process, his abrupt departure and subsequent events continue to cast a long shadow over the program. As the Huskies navigate a new era under Fisch, the full impact of DeBoer’s tenure and its controversial end will likely be felt for years to come.

[ Washington Huskies on S I, KJR radio ]

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