The aircraft transporting Alabama’s future head football coach descended to the Tuscaloosa National Airport at 8:37 on a Friday night. Shortly after, Kalen DeBoer emerged from the plane, its exterior ironically featuring orange and blue stripes. A crowd of Crimson Tide fans, who had earlier engaged in an acapella rendition of “Dixieland Delight,” warmly received him. The reception took a turn when a bold Alabama fan offered DeBoer a more direct welcome.
However, this genuine greeting did not involve a Yellowhammer cocktail or a “Sabanade” from Innisfree’s Tuscaloosa venue. Instead, it took the form of three straightforward words: “Start recruiting, coach,” shouted the fan.
The fan who uttered those words likely recalls the repercussions of the last time an SEC football program in Alabama appointed an outsider without prior conference experience. Auburn fans, in particular, vividly remember.
As news spread about DeBoer’s anticipated hiring, Auburn supporters expressed their reactions on social media, dubbing Alabama’s new head coach as “Husky Harsin” or “Harsin 2.0.” These nicknames stem from the perceived parallels between DeBoer’s hiring and Auburn’s selection of Bryan Harsin in 2020.
Comparing the two hires, it’s worth noting that DeBoer comes to Tuscaloosa with a more appealing track record than Harsin did when he joined Auburn. Harsin arrived at The Plains after amassing a 69-19 record at Boise State.
On the other hand, DeBoer arrives in Tuscaloosa with an impressive track record, boasting a 25-3 record, a college football playoff appearance, a national championship trip, and experience coaching a Heisman finalist during his tenure at Washington.
However, similar to Harsin, DeBoer lacks SEC experience, a fact that raises concerns among Tigers fans. Auburn supporters have witnessed the challenges Harsin faced as a non-SEC-experienced coach. Hailing from Boise, Harsin struggled to assimilate into the culture at Auburn, within the state of Alabama, and in the realm of SEC football during his 22-month tenure.
This struggle extended to the recruiting trail, where Harsin failed to establish connections with in-state high school football programs. For instance, at Jackson High School, head football coach Cody Fluornoy revealed to AL.com in August that the program never received a visit from someone in Auburn gear during Harsin’s time with the Tigers. Notably, this occurred while Jackson High School had a former player, Nehemiah Pritchett, on Auburn’s roster as a defensive back.
Located less than 20 minutes away from Auburn’s campus, former Opelika High School head coach Erik Speakman shared similar sentiments in an August interview with AL.com. Regarding Harsin, Speakman remarked, “I don’t know why he didn’t put an emphasis on recruiting, maybe they just thought they could out-coach people. But with the quality of coaching and the quality of players in this league, it’s not just coaching and it’s not just recruiting. So it’s not one or the other, you’ve gotta do both.”
Learning from this experience, Auburn was cautious not to repeat the same oversight when searching for Harsin’s replacement. The university ultimately selected Hugh Freeze, who brought SEC experience, coaching success, and a track record of success on the recruiting trail.
Situated between the college football powerhouses of Alabama and Georgia, and following an administration led by Harsin that didn’t prioritize recruiting, Freeze recognized the need to make substantial strides in recruiting upon his arrival at Auburn.
Fortunately for the Tigers, Freeze and his coaching staff achieved rapid success in recruiting, recently securing the seventh-ranked recruiting class in the country. This marks Auburn’s first top-10 finish since 2020, and a significant portion of the success originates from within the state of Alabama.
Notably, Auburn’s two 5-star wide receivers, Cam Coleman and Perry Thompson, both hail from within the state’s borders. Additionally, five of Auburn’s 4-star signees are Alabama natives. These outcomes align with Freeze’s strategic focus of establishing a strong recruiting presence in Auburn’s local area and securing talented prospects from their home state.
During a press conference on national signing day, Freeze emphasized the importance of winning the state of Alabama in recruiting, stating, “I think we signed 12 guys from the state of Alabama, which is big because we want to win this state. I don’t know if we won the state this year or not. I don’t know how that’s determined. We certainly want to in the future of winning our share if not more than our share in this state.”
DeBoer has demonstrated his coaching prowess, particularly during his tenure at Sioux Falls, where he led the NAIA program for five seasons. Notably, he achieved an impressive 67-3 record and secured three NAIA championships. DeBoer also had a brief stint at Fresno State, where he posted a 12-6 record. Combining these experiences with his time at Washington, DeBoer arrives in Alabama with an outstanding 104-12 head coaching record.
However, as Speakman pointed out, coaching excellence alone may not be sufficient in the highly competitive landscape of Alabama and the SEC if recruiting is not given equal attention. Notably, during his time at Washington, DeBoer’s recruiting classes never ranked higher than No. 26 nationally. By the time of his departure, the Huskies had a No. 41 recruiting class in the country, underscoring the significance of recruiting challenges he faced in a Power Five conference like the Pac-12.
Certainly, recruiting to Alabama presents a stark contrast to recruiting for Washington, especially considering the legacy left by Saban. The success on the recruiting trail largely depends on how DeBoer embraces and utilizes these differences.
With Auburn securing the services of Freeze, who notably flipped 5-star wide receiver Perry Thompson away from Saban and Alabama in July, and recently flipping 2025 4-star defensive lineman Antonio Coleman from the Tide, Crimson Tide fans are hopeful. They hope that DeBoer, who received a direct message from a fan urging him to start recruiting, takes note of Auburn’s recent successes and understands the urgency and importance of establishing a strong recruiting presence in the competitive SEC. The challenge for DeBoer lies in adapting his recruiting strategies to the unique landscape of Alabama and the expectations set by the success-driven SEC.
