The biggest complaint Kalen DeBoer is facing following Alabama’s 40-35 loss to Vanderbilt concerns his defense. A close second is the head coach’s in-game attire.
Since the beginning of the season, DeBoer has been met with online criticism over his wardrobe choices. Unlike his predecessor, Nick Saban, the first-year head coach has ditched the standard gameday polo and slacks for a more casual look.
DeBoer donned an all-black getup for Alabama’s first two games against Western Kentucky and South Florida, complete with a pullover and athletic pants. He made a slight alteration during the trip to Wisconsin, switching to a crimson pullover while keeping the same pants. Then he went back to his all-black look the following week at home against Georgia.
Those looks didn’t draw rave reviews from the Crimson Tide’s pickier fans, but they were disregarded due to Alabama’s winning performance on the field. That wasn’t the case over the weekend when DeBoer donned his most casual outfit of the season.
With temperatures reaching 85 degrees at kickoff in Nashville, Tennessee last Saturday, DeBoer shed his pullover and went with a crimson Nike T-shirt with Alabama printed across the front along with his typical black pants.
That, coupled with the Tide’s shocking defeat, was the last straw for some of the Alabama fashionistas on social media.
However, after taking a bit of abuse this week, DeBoer was met with a friendlier crowd during his weekly call-in radio show on Wednesday night.
As always, the show began with a call from longtime fan Peewee Roberts from Green Bay, Alabama, who offered a message to the head coach.
“If you don’t mind, I’d like to say a little bit of something before I ask a question,” Roberts said. “This week I’ve been hearing a lot of naysayers out there, talking bad not about only our players. You know, the fashion police has been out after you —I’m not sure you know that or not — about your game-time [attire], your outerwear.”
DeBoer didn’t respond to Roberts’ comments about his outfit, but did thank him for the kind words, stating “I appreciate that, Peewee Our guys are working hard to make you proud. I promise you that.”
The support for DeBoer’s style continued later in the show when a caller named Jim from Haleyville, Alabama phoned in to “piggyback off of what Peewee said earlier.”
“You keep the course, keep us going the way you’ve got us going, we’re going to be fine,’ Jim said. “I do want to say this, I’m calling with a T-shirt on, so I didn’t know if I needed to put a tie on when I called. You keep doing what you do, Coach. Roll Tide.”
Finally, DeBoer acknowledged the elephant in the room.
“That’s the second one,” he said with a smile. “Yeah, I gotcha. Word’s got to me about that.”
DeBoer wasn’t asked how he’ll dress for No. 7 Alabama’s upcoming game against South Carolina on Saturday at 11 a.m. CT inside Bryant-Denny Stadium. Temperatures for the game are expected to be in the low 80s. Regardless of whether DeBoer plans to don a more formal attire or continue with his typical outfit, his style will have the support of a few loyal followers.
“I just want you to know that us the fans, the true fans of Alabama 100% got your back,” Roberts told DeBoer during his call. “They got our players’ backs in anything and everything that you do.”
