Alabama coach Kalen Deboer reveals who's calling plays, previews season | Inside College Football

everybody said you don't want to be the guy who follows Nick Sabin but kayn dor said I'm your huckleberry and before they've even played a snap there are rave reviews coming out of Tuscaloosa Kaylin dbor joins us now and Coach what has made the transition work now that we're on the verge of kicking off this season coach Sabin Still Remains a presence there major role in college football what has made the transition to the Kalin dor era work so far well it's a lot of things and it's it's all the other people around uh this program th those that uh you know we we retained and kept in on board uh whether it's leadership uh I got an amazing athletic director that's really made the transition very seamless uh we got staff whether it's on the field off the field uh they've really helped us uh in that transition the players the players just how they've embraced everything uh that I've thrown at them and them realizing that you know you can change things and doesn't make it right or wrong um you know it's just how we we've done it and they've been open arms to everything we've thrown at them and uh you know we haven't played a game yet so uh you know that time's coming real soon we're excited about that but it's been really a lot of fun here up to this point Kaylin you know and I know in coaching it's not X's and O's it's jimmies and Joe's when you arrived in Tuscaloosa how impressed were you with the roster that you inherited yeah yeah we have a great balance of uh some upper classmen who have been through it here guys who understand what it takes to win um and then we have a lot of younger guys also that are really looking to those older guys uh the upper classman to to show them what it's all about uh we refer to it as the standard here it's a you know it's a high standard high level uh but when it comes to the personnel as you're talking uh there's a lot of Playmakers the depth and the magnitude of the physicality uh and speed I think is a big thing that you just notice right away uh the winter workouts you know that showed uh very quickly you know what this uh roster look like you brought some coaches with you from Washington uh one of those was Nick grub excuse me Ryan grub who left quickly to go back to Seattle to be the Seahawks coordinator what kind of hurdle did that create for you in terms of what your role will be in play calling and such given all the things that go in to being a first year head coach yeah that was a great opportunity for Ryan grub and welld deserved we go back really even before 2007 but coached many years together I think what still made it again seamless is kind of the word we're using here today um Nick Sheridan uh has been with me this is going on year four he was my tight ends coach but uh knows the quarterback play was a quarterback himself uh and at Indiana we worked together for a year and then the last two years he was with us at uh at Washington as well and Jamarcus Shepard really a right-hand man a guy that uh you know gets our passing game going um knows the X's and O's inside and out uh even up to the offensive line and so those two have really taken the offense and it's the system that I've kind of built over many years but so many people have been important to that Ryan grub Nick sherid and Jamarcus Shepard you know that's a big core of them so when it comes to the play calling you know I'm I Nick Shar will be doing the play calling but it's really important to me to just not get in the way during a drive but you know through the week talking through the scenarios uh and then in the middle of a season in the middle of a of a a drive you know there's there's a time and place when the head coach right it's got your name on it has to step in but I think that rhythm is so important and I've known that uh having called place for 20 years uh that that's that's key but in between series we can do our talking uh we can put together the next series and uh you know kind of kind of sort through things and through all those years you have always been a winner including three national championships back at the Nia level now you are at the top of the college football World at Alabama coming from Washington what is what is though a consistent thread to your success going all the way back to Sue Falls that has carried through to now well it's people uh and with those people you have things that you really count on to to get you through both the good and the bad and it's it's having a family environment I think my role is to help facilitate a place where these guys love coming into the building each and every day pouring into the football but pouring into each other so family and then an accountability you know and a toughness and you know these people whether it's football the football team or the the staff you just have an accountability first to themselves and then each other uh something where you know the relationships that I referred to to you know do matter and we don't get defensive when you know we get called to the table on something we could have done better uh we understand that everything we say everything we do is for the best uh judgment and betterment of the football team so I know in sou Falls you had a driver that took you everywhere and uh you know had a motorcade wherever you went is that very similar uh to what you get in Alabama sure sure coach yeah exactly the same exactly the same yeah right I think uh you appreciate though coming to a place like Alabama and over you know Washington as well but at Alabama just all the people that make the whole program go and uh that goes back to having done a lot of those jobs when I was at the small College college level myself great Seafood in Seattle I've been to Chuck's fish in Tuscaloosa so I can I can vouch for at least one good place uh for seafood do you have any favorite places now coach yeah that certainly would be one of them uh you know and there's there's a few more there a couple good barbecue places and stuff so but uh I I gotta be honest this was a quick off season uh and you know I'm looking looking forward to this fall and then I think after uh after January next year we'll really be venturing off and and really understanding all the things that tuscalo has offer when it comes to to those you know food and so forth yeah you you'll have time for dessert is Nick Savin offering two aside is he offering what two two strokes aside I know he's got all the time in the world now to I'm gonna need more than that I know he's gotl game and I haven't played hardly at all so uh you know best of lot you're a busy man I apprciate you guys thank you for having me on Roll Tide all right thanks a lot coach it all begins Saturday against Western Kentucky kayin dor hopefully we'll do it again sometime soon and coming up next here e