Detailing changes of Alabama going to an offensive-minded coach
As Alabama enters spring with a new head coach for the first time in 17 years, fans should be prepared for a different approach. The Crimson Tide were a mostly defense-oriented team under Nick Saban, but Kalen DeBoer brings a more offense-first philosophy.
That much was evident last season at Washington, which DeBoer led to a national championship appearance behind a prolific passing attack. The Huskies ranked as the No. 2 in passing yards per game while putting up 36.0 points per game to rank 13th in the country. Conversely, they ranked 99th in total defense.
That isn’t to say that defense won’t still be a priority under DeBoer. However, as Tim Watts of Bama Online explained, he just might be more willing to give his defensive assistants more control.
“I had an SEC coach tell me the thing about Gus Malzahn, who’s an offensive-minded coach, it’s pretty common with offensive-minded coaches — they leave the defense alone,” Watts told On3‘s Andy Staples. “Nick Saban wasn’t one, obviously. He’s a defensive-minded coach. One of the coaches who had coached with Gus Malzahn said (he told them) ‘I don’t care what you do, but do it fast. Get the ball back, let them score. I want the ball.’ That’s an offensive-minded coach.”
DeBoer hired South Alabama head coach Kane Wommack to take over as Alabama’s defensive coordinator. His head coaching experience should come in handy as he will likely be left to lead the group the way he sees fit. He led the Jaguars to back-to-back bowl games in 2022 and 2023, ranking top 30 in scoring defense both years.
Wommack inherits a Crimson Tide unit that finished 18th in total defense and 17th in scoring defense this past season. However, Alabama lost several of its key contributors including safety Caleb Downs and linebacker Dallas Turner.
Over time, Wommack will bring in his own players and build the defense to his liking. Watts also believes he could be given the green light to take the lead on recruiting defensive players, and it’s only by working together that Alabama will maintain its level of play on both sides of the ball.
“Gus Malzahn let the defensive guys recruit who they want, get the guy that fits your scheme,” Watts said. “There might be a little of that with Kane Wommack because it is his defense. It’s his defense, his personnel. Obviously there’s a trust factor between him and Kalen DeBoer. If you can have somebody handle one side of the ball and you focus on your side, there’s not a better union that you’re gonna find.”
Ultimately, time will tell how different this Alabama team is with DeBoer as coach. However, given his offensive track record, it seems safe to assume he’ll handle things a little differently than Saban did.
The Crimson Tide will get the first chance to show off what they’ve worked on this spring during the annual A-Day game on April 13.