Kalen DeBoer explains why he doesn't raise voice with coaches, players
In just his second year as a Power Five head coach, Kalen DeBoer has announced himself as one of college football’s best offensive minds while leading the Washington Huskies to a College Football Playoff Championship Game. According to the Washington players, he’s found that success without yelling like many other coaches do.
DeBoer admitted that he’s probably yelled a few times but he did emphasize that he tries not to do it too much. After all, everyone on the team is competing for the same thing.
“There’s a couple times. I mean, I appreciate them protecting me here a little bit,” Kalen DeBoer said. “But I think when you do have those selective moments, then they realize like, okay, it’s real serious. But I just feel like they know that we’re fighting the same fight as the coaching staff, and I want the same thing for them that they want for themselves.”
For Kalen DeBoer, it’s important to be a consistent leader. That does mean keeping an even tone in how he interacts with his team. The hope is that, in turn, makes the team more confident in him.
“And they know we’re pouring and trust and believe that our coaching staff is pouring everything into them. And we’re in this together. So there are emotional times, there are things. But I feel it’s who I am, and I have to be who I am as a person. Trying to be consistent, that’s just my leadership way of doing things. That’s who I am as a person,” DeBoer said.
“And if I was going to do things that were out of character, then I think they would lose their consistency as well as far as the expectations and accountability. And those big moments, I think, hopefully, there’s a piece where their trust and their consistency and all those things have helped them get through it to where they’re not emotional or overwhelmed in the moment; they can just focus in on what we talk about each and every day and that’s their job and trusting the guy next to him and trusting our coaches are going to make the right calls and make the right decisions and choices.”
In two seasons with Washington, Kalen DeBoer has a 25-2 record. In 2023, the Huskies have beaten six ranked opponents and have won eight one-score games. Clearly, in big moments, his team has been able to play its best football.
Kalen DeBoer details how Washington will carry identity to Big Ten next season
After the championship game against Michigan, Washington will begin looking toward its transition to the Big Ten next season. That’s a transition that Kalen DeBoer detailed.
“I think it’s just always challenging ourselves to be our best. And our coaching staff will continue to evaluate the recruiting areas and things like that. We’ll also be West Coast-based with our footprint, but there’s other opportunities that may come about. We have a lot of connections with our coaching staff, having a lot of Midwest and Big Ten former coaches on it already. And so we have a lot of confidence,” DeBoer said.
“I think our players will have a lot of confidence in that. But we’re always going to challenge ourselves to be our best. And it isn’t just about the Big Ten; it’s about the evolution of your team and college football and trying to do what you need to do to beat the people at the top of the mountain and competing with them.”