For the first time in 17 years, Nick Saban wasn’t representing Alabama during the SEC Spring Meetings. Kalen DeBoer is in Florida this week to take in his first spring meetings. Tuesday, the first-year Alabama football coach spoke with reporters for roughly 20 minutes about the future of college football as well as how his team is preparing for the coming season.
Here’s a full transcript of what he said.
Opening statement
“It’s good to be here. First time, obviously, at these meetings. It’s crazy to think what time of the year it is here just past Memorial Day and we got big June ahead of us, and then it won’t be long we’ll be on the football field. So excited about the direction of our football team and where we’re going right now. Guys just reported in for workouts today, so we’re missing that, I’m missing that. But I think everything’s in a good spot. Looking forward to a great summer and season ahead.”
On if he prefers eight or nine conference games
“I can hear both ends of it. I think you’d have to make adjustments to your non-conference schedule depending on which direction you go. And I know the SEC slate that every team will have is going to be strong, and it’s going to be one where you’d have to adjust how many Power Five teams or Power Four teams you’re going to play in the non-conference schedule. So I think nine games Power Five games is a good number. So if it was eight, probably add one or two and kind of see from there. So I’m up in the air on it, obviously, and want to hear both from my athletic director and also the pros and cons from the conference on where it all stands. I know we’ll talk about that today.”
On his ideal roster size and how many walk-ons he prefers
“When I think back over the years, I’ve been at a lot of different levels when it comes to putting a team together. The crazy thing is people always look at it say, only 11 are on the field at a time, but there’s a lot that goes into development, there’s a lot that goes into putting together a practice that I think is efficient. There’s a health and safety piece, for sure, that comes into play when it comes to roster size. I think it was smaller college levels, I’ve been as low as 100-105 and then as high as 135, and I think that somewhere in between is a good number to have, as far as executing throughout the course of the season and having some depth.
“And I think there’s other pieces, too, especially in the latter years here, having legacy players that maybe are walk-ons that come onto your program and grow into being a scholarship player. There’s a lot of variables that come into play. So first and foremost, it comes to health and safety and efficiency and having a successful practice that I think you want to execute each and every day that’s important with the number that’s on your roster. So I’ve operated with 110 back about 4-5 years ago, 120 last year, and we’ll have a few more than that with the way in the direction that we’re at with Alabama this fall.”
On the possibility of teams having to provide availability reports for games
“I don’t have all the answers to that right now as far as how I would feel. Again, I want to listen to a lot of the reasons for and against. I understand why having some consistency is important. Sometimes it clears up even your communication to everyone that wants to know. And I understand from just a consistency across the conference trying to pull that all together and even across the country with the different conferences. So some consistency is certainly something I understand. I’m open to the idea. I just want to understand more about what the expectation would be and what that format would look like.”
On load management with an extended playoff
“I think it’s always been something that I’ve been conscious of. For example, we’re moving to be a morning practice team. I think over the course of months, you’re conscious about the amount of sleep guys are getting. That’s not even getting to the part that I think you’re referring to with the amount of contact and hits and games that guys are playing. And so I’m always conscious of that because you want to be playing your best ball at the end of the year. You want to be fresh, both mentally and physically. And there’s just a fine line because you have to be prepared for those games throughout the season, which takes a lot of work, takes a lot of time.
“And so from the summer workouts through fall camp, tying that into school and everything they have on their plate, that’s a lot. So we want to make sure that we’re always conscious of communicating, working with our team to adjust and do what’s needed to make sure we’re playing our best ball come the end of the season, but making sure we also have done a good job throughout the year to put ourselves in the spot to be in the playoffs, in the postseason.”
On if teams can operate safely with a roster cap of 85 players
“Obviously, there’s always a way. You can ask me any question and I’m going to say there’s always a way to get it done. Would it be a much different look than what we probably do as far as coaches and executing our practice plans? Absolutely. But I guess I’ve always been one to adjust with the times, and you have to do what you got to do.”
On having more room for error in the extended College Football Playoff format
“You want to be the highest seed that you possibly can. And so every single game, still to me is very important. You know, it isn’t just always about making the playoffs. It’s about winning in the playoffs and winning a champion. And so everything that goes into that, you know, matters when it comes to each and every game. So I don’t like to think that you have a little wiggle room because more teams are in the playoffs. I don’t want us thinking that way. I want us thinking about every game, the significance of it, how important it is to us landing in a great spot, getting a potential first round by in the playoffs. And so that’s what we’ll be attacking and what we’re working for.”
On what he’s looking forward to discussing following the House v. NCAA settlement
“I think it’s just getting all the information. We hear things, you read things. I know that it’s still in the process right now, so trying to understand where it’s really at and having that communication where we’re all in a room together and really hearing the facts. And so, trying to separate what is real and what isn’t real, I think that’s really where it starts.”
On Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian
“Following Coach Sark, our paths haven’t connected or collided, but he was the Washington head coach at one point too. So understanding what he’s done there with the program, he’s done a great job building it, improving it, each and every year. And I’ve seen that the last two years, extremely competitive team with a lot of talent.
“Played with great physicality. And been through it now, won some big games, also learning from the experiences that they’ve had together as a program. I know guys graduate, guys move on. But I can see the direction it’s going. And so, you know, giving some props to Coach Sark on what he’s what he’s building.”
On making adjustments in roster size during his career
“I think Covid, everyone had to adjust. But I think that was a time I think about the roster numbers and how hard that was. And that was maybe a little extreme because of the variables, beyond just injuries happening. But I think we were at about a 110 roster number at the time, and being so deficient, even with injuries, and the concerns and trying to put a team on the football field to practice each and every day became extremely tough.
“Just moving parts of the country, you know, and understanding that there are different styles to the way different conferences play the game, the way they recruit, the way it all just geographically how it’s different. Having to adjust to that when you’re in a remote area, getting kids to come through like we can at Alabama throughout the spring, which is much easier. They’re just drive away. But I’ve had to adjust to those different parts, different parts of the country, different styles of play.
“But in the end, you just really try to make it about the main thing. And you focus on the kids. You focus on the X’s and O’s. You focus on your staff, putting together the best plan to help your guys be successful. And when you really simplify it down, it’s not easy, but it becomes easier when you try not to make it more complicated than it needs to be.”
On replacing Nick Saban
“I think it’s all about being excited to be here because of what this program has accomplished over not just the Coach Saban’s time in the last 17 years, but over many decades, and the great coaches, the great players and staffs that have been a part of these great teams, and just building on it. You know, I think there’s always areas and ways where you can take what the foundation is, and continue to add to it in your own way. I, of course, got to be who I am and be true that you know, and put a staff around me that I think complements myself, the different strengths, the areas you need in different roles, whether it be your offensive staff, your defensive staff, and just having everyone pulling in the same direction, I think is a strength of mine in helping them do that.
“It’s just been awesome, embracing everything that Coach Saban has done for this program and really celebrating what he’s accomplished over that time. And I know we have a full roster of players that were recruited specifically, yes to come to Alabama but to play for Coach Saban as their head coach. And so I understand that fully as well, and I want to make sure that that connection is always there and that they always feel like they can reach out to the coach that recruited them at the beginning. And also that Coach Saban knows he’s always got an open door to the program, as well. I’ve referred to it a few different times that this is our program. When I say ours, it’s all those people that have been a part of it for many years. That, of course, includes Coach Saban.”
On how he’d change practice with roster caps
“We two-spotted in two sessions during the spring this year, too. And when you have more depth, you want to get reps for the guys. And so that was certainly the way we operated, even during spring ball. And so that number would jump from roster standpoint for this fall with a couple additions this summer coming in, whether it be a couple transfers or the rest of the ’24 class coming in and we’d have one set of offense versus defense in one area of the of the complex and another set going on there to get those reps that we need. And you’d obviously have to adjust and figure it out, and when it gets hard is when you have one position group that gets hit by the injury bug or whatever it might be and you got all these other guys that you’re trying to develop and trying to get them the reps, and that becomes the tricky part when you don’t have as much depth across the board. But, again, you have to adjust, whether it’s a high number or a lower number, you’re always adjusting, not just year to year but within the season.”
On if you could practice two-spotting with 85 players
“It would be about balance. You figure things out when that time comes. But there’s a model that comes to that area, and that’s the NFL. And you’d have to probably do some professional development there in that area maybe more than what we’ve done over the years in regards to how they practice and how they do things.”
On Alabama’s hunger as a team
“I’m excited about the hunger that these guys have. Today was our first day officially back with workouts. But like you said, they’ve been doing a lot. And I know that that’s been actually something when you talk about workload and all that, we’ve been conscious in telling the guys that they need to make sure that they refresh for a few days. And I love that that hunger is there. We had guys on a thread this morning, guys wanting to get together on our leadership group to make sure that their mindsets are in the right place. That’s what it’s all about, is having a player led team that can lead themselves, lead the rest of the guys around them and want to do something special together.
“So I just try to facilitate that as the head coach. I know our staff does the same thing. These guys are hungry, whether it’s to prove people right or prove people wrong, I don’t know, because some people are excited about what it looks like, and others are casting some doubts on them. And so it certainly applies to the LANK mentality that they have. And I’m excited to see what this summer brings about as far as their progression and building on what we did this spring.”
On his reaction to changing scholarship limits
“I really don’t have a handle on that. I’m waiting for – I’m one that never overreacts to anything, whether it’s going to be in favor or something that’s not going to favor how I feel. I really never overreact. I want kind of see what happens and be a part of whatever change needs to happen to make our game better when I can. But just understanding the facts and what we have control over, what we don’t have control over, certainly is something that’s going to be discussed a lot today.”
UGA Sports' Anthony Dasher contributed to this report.
