Bussin' With The Boys - Best of the Bus: Kalen DeBoer On Taking Over From Nick Saban + Implementing His Own Culture

Episode Date: December 13, 2025

On this episode of Best of the Bus, the boys sit down with new Alabama head football coach Kalen DeBoer following his hire after Nick Saban’s retirement. Taking over for arguably the greatest coach of all time comes with massive expectations, and DeBoer opens up about what the hiring process was really like — including having just 24 hours to make the decision, fresh off a national championship loss. Will and Taylor dive into what fans can expect from Alabama this season as DeBoer begins building his own culture while respecting the traditions that have defined the program. He breaks down the first message he delivered to the team, how he met individually with team leaders, and what he wants the identity of this next era of Alabama football to look like. After this conversation, it’s clear the standard in Tuscaloosa isn’t changing anytime soon. Enjoy, fellas.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hey guys, it's us The Jonas Brothers. I'm Joe. I'm Kevin. And I'm Nick. And guess what? We created our own podcast called, Hey Jonas. We invented a podcast?

Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts. We get to ask other people questions because we're sick and tired of being asked questions. Well, sick and tired is a strong way to put it. But, you know, tired and sick. Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Just listen.

We don't care where you hear it. Another podcast from. some SNL late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and Friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter.

Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened.

That's where SportsSlice comes in. I'm Timbo, and every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the biggest moments in sports and giving you the real story behind the headline. And we're going straight to the source, the athletes themselves. Their locker room stories, their reactions in the moment, and the stuff nobody gets to hear. Listen to Sports Slice on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,

or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slic Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. And we got to also sit with Coach DeBoer, who came from Washington. And we talked with him about succeeding, obviously, arguably the greatest college football coach of all time and Nick Saban. We talk a lot about his transition from Washington, going from that national title loss to getting the job with Alabama. Some of the culture wrinkles he's bringing in Alabama, I can already foresee a headline

coming out about, you know, hey, they're playing music now. they seem a little bit more loose at Alabama as the culture. You can see some stuff already being created out of that. But he talks about some of the new things that he's bringing in in Alabama. What got him the job, succeeding Nick Saban. And in those interviews with the players, we asked them about how it's been in spring ball with Coach DeBoer. So check those out. You guys are going to love this conversation with Coach DeBore.

He was all time with the boys. But yeah, man, and shout out to the University of Alabama for letting us in. I know that we tried for a couple times. And usually it's a very, it's a tough place to get in. So we thank you guys for allowing us to see your facilities. A-plus all around, like you guys crushed it. You guys, Tyler Booker gave us a tour. It was incredible.

Again, you guys are going to enjoy this interview. Yeah, so without further ado, big hugs, tiny kisses. Make sure Alabama fans, if you were new here, make sure you're subscribed to the boys. Leave comments throughout the episode. But yeah, Coach DeBoer. Yeah. I can't help with ask me the dad had. Is there something to you?

Yeah, man, you need some dad gear? He wants your dad gear? It's just like our, it's just like our, I mean, I'm new, I'm still, so I'm sure it was something with the. When Will and I met, there's been a couple like that thing. Like a spike up. Oh, I guess what's, I'm sorry? Yeah, if you get some good content.

Look at Delaney, directed over here. Let's go with Delaney. So the dad hat. There's been like a couple, like, the, when I've signed a contract with the Titans, I like, wore this boss hog outfit all white. And I said, Daddy's here. And so a couple people in Nashville were calling me dad for a little bit. And then when Will and I met...

That's how it's the origin story of the dad merch. That's how it's starting. That's how I'm telling the story how it's starting. And then when... This story, origin stories, my first time hearing it. The dad... You remember that, right, Delaney? That's right.

I love that. I know that that is a moment in time. It's a moment in time that I think of myself. When I look at the dad's, I think, well, I really did that. Yeah, yeah. And so when Will and I first met, I had a very young daughter. And then the bean.

The bean. And then now I have two kids. Will's got a daughter. So we came out, dad hats, man. Because it's a culture. People don't know. There's all these dumb jokes about, well, people know because they have dogs. You don't understand what it's like to have a kid to you actually have a kid.

So it's like a nice little group. It is the best, man. You're more than willing to be in the group if you want. We'll send you a couple of hats. I'm all in. I'm all in. I got two girls. Girl dad.

Perfect. We have Girl Dad. Merge. There we go. We'll get you hooked up. When you were, let's actually, by the way, Derek's calling me back right now. Yeah. I wanted to make sure because Jack did video that.

Taylor had a tough loss. Derek was texting and Taylor tried FaceTime and then he didn't answer Taylor's phone call, but he's responding and texting back and forth the whole time while Taylor's trying to call. There's a tough look. There's a tough. No call. Seven years. Seven years.

I try to pot it off. He's trying to get his Raven friends. Yeah. And stuff like that. What do you? want to start. Oh, I want to start with your two daughters. When you had two girls, did you think maybe one more I'll go for a boy? No. Honestly, no. I think once we got the younger one, I think we were all good. Certainly would have been fine with boys and looking back on it,

though, and now being a football coach, I think it's actually a blessing, you know, having no pressure on any boy and having to play football and just enjoying who they are. And, you know, Man, they love the game and they love being around the team and all that kind of stuff. And they both have totally different personalities and totally different likes, interests, but it's awesome being a girl dad. Were you, like myself, I was let down when I saw the pink come from the cake that we were having a girl. Oh, hey, not only we, it's true. No, he came, his wife came in with a cake at the bus. And when he saw that color, it was, there was no hiding it.

It was true disappointment. There was no shot that I was going to get. It's going to be awesome. You're going to love it. But as an athlete, which I can't wait to ask you about because you were a stud at Sioux Falls, were you hopeful for the first kid? Were you hopeful that it was a boy? I honestly didn't have feelings one way or another.

I really didn't. Better man than me. Very politically correct answer. Strong, well-thought-out answer. He's not going to make anybody mad with that one. I think it was meant to be. That's the way I look at it. You have a few records coming up as a white,

receiver do you keep a highlight tape close by just to let the boys know that you can dabble that you can dabble with the best of them no i don't uh it's uh nothing like what these guys are here at this level they would turn that on and uh have a few laughs so uh i'm i'm proud of what we did but as a team but uh that level is a little different record in yards receptions touchdowns you played some semi pro ball as well what um as you were going through as you as an athlete going the semi-pro ball route in that moment in time. Are you sitting there you trying to gather tape to try to get to the next level? Or after you had a couple of years, you're like, okay, I just, I need to start making a pivot going into the next thing.

Yeah, are you talking to football piece? Yeah, football piece. Yeah, from with the football, it was just, you know, indoor football there in Sioux Falls, enjoyed a couple of years kind of right there at home. And I was already on into coaching high school ball and kind of onto while you're playing. While you're playing? while I was playing. So, you know, that was, that was just a kind of a side hobby. Yeah. I was with you during those two years and got into the college coaching there at Sue,

University of Sioux Falls and then kind of had to put everything else on, on the back burner and move on with the career. Obviously, like coaching, you've done an amazing job. You're at one the most prestigious universities of all time, but playing and realizing that, okay, this is, the road's coming to an end of my playing career. Like, how was that transition for you? I know you were coaching already. But was there ever that point where you're like, identity crisis or anything like that? No, I don't think it was at that level. I enjoyed the relationships.

I enjoyed the friends. I knew that there was definitely a ceiling and I had probably maxed out that ceiling as a football player myself. And so, you know, great times, but it was time to move on. Yeah. Proud, though.

You've been wildly successful as a head coach. And the NAA ranks three national titles. I think you were 65 and three as a head coach with Washington. I mean, a two-time coach of the year. I think it was 25 and 3 with Washington. What do you feel like you've cultivated, whether it's values, philosophies over the years,

to have this much success? I always go back to when I was a player at Sioux Falls. We were 2 and 8 my freshman year, and we were 14 and 0 in national champs my senior year. And I knew what the culture looked like, what it felt like as a player, the first year, and also what it took to get there over those four years. And I always just remember that.

And it was the relationships. It was the, you know, just the consistency we got from the people that were in the building or on the team and just the work that it put in. And so it was fun, which allowed, you know, and I enjoyed the process, which, you know, I think our entire team did. And so I try to make that what we have here, you know, and wherever I've been, try to make an environment or facilitate a, you know, an atmosphere that's full of energy, you know, that, you know, you can find the driven, people, let them go do their thing, whether it's coaches or players, and they enjoy each and every moment. They enjoy each, you know, everyone that's a part of it. And just let's go have some fun. Let's cut it loose. Let's make the most of every opportunity we get. Turning back to your success at Washington, you were the only coach to go 11 or more wins in consecutive years. And then you get

the call from the Crimson Tide. You just competed for a national championship. What was your thought process when that phone call did come? Yeah, that was the Timing of everything, I think, is what really makes it extra hard through all of this because my time at Washington is going to be, for me and my family, probably the best time of our life. You know, those two years there and the way we were embraced from the community aspect to the team to just how much fun it was working with our staff. It was a special time that I know we all are going to cherish forever as a family and individually as well. But, you know, just the opportunity to come here to Alabama, knowing this program and what the history was all about and getting a chance to meet Greg Byrne

and just really hearing the vision, understanding the interests and how excited he'd be to have, you know, me leading the football program. That meant a lot. And, you know, got a chance maybe over 24 hours to do a little bit of just kind of investigating and kind of really thinking it through and talking to a couple people that I'm close with.

But it just felt like, you know, this is something that was too good of an opportunity. And it's just been an awesome experience here these first three to four months. Is that how quickly you had to make that decision was 24 hours? Yeah, I mean, I pretty much had to make the decision if I was offered the job. Yeah. That's really how it comes down to, you know. And, you know, and I understand why, you know, in the just the environment we're in, college football, the timing of it. You know, we're talking the middle of January.

retaining a roster. I just, the urgency that it needed to be to keep the program moving forward, I completely understood why, you know, Greg Byrne told the team. Hey, it's us, the Jonas Brothers, and guess what? We have some big news. What's the news, name? Huge news. We created our own podcast called, Hey, Jonas.

We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts. Pretty, yeah, pretty wide range of podcasts throughout there. But this one's extra special. So how did we actually come up with a name, Hey Jonas, guys?

I honestly don't remember. I think it was on a call about what we should call it. Well, we were thinking I'm originally calling it one of the early names of our band before Jonas Brothers. This is how you guys remember it going down? Yes. I have a very different memory of this. We were talking about a thing, a bit for the podcast,

people could call in and say, hey, Jonas. And then I wrote down on my little notepad, Hey Jonas and offered it up as a potential title for the podcast. But thanks for remembering that, guys. Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind.

Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise. Breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athlete themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaders to

controversial calls, we break it down, give you context and ask the questions everybody wants answered. Sports Slice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to Sports Slice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slic Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. The French Open is one of the toughest tests in tennis. And I know firsthand because I competed there myself. I'm Renee Stubbs. And on the Renee Stubbs tennis podcast, I'm breaking down everything happening at Roland Garris.

Every match, every upset, and what it really takes to win on clay. Jenchian win. I mean, she went down in three to Rabakina, but I'm delighted. Yeah, she's an outsider to win the French fan. And she likes Clay. Listen, Lena Rubakina is arguably the best player in the world right now. And I actually can win on any surface. Because if she's serving, well, good luck.

Consider this your court side seat to the French Open. Listen to the Renee Stubbs Tennis podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHeart Women's Sports. Give me 72 hours, you know. And, you know, that was that urgency. if I was going to be the football coach, I knew getting down here and being around these guys and just being nonstop and trying to build these relationships and keep things together the first two weeks while I was here while I'm building the staff was going to be critical for our immediate and long-term future. Were there nerves involved in the interview process? You have your success of Washington.

You're going after this Alabama job. There's always that kid in us that's like you go to the next stage, you go to the next thing. Were there any nerves involved in going after this job? No, not at all because I had a great. place where I was at, you know, really it was more about making sure that this was going to be a good fit, that this is going to be a place I could see, you know, myself, you know, being successful and, you know, people that I was going to be enjoying the journey with, you know, from Greg Byrne to to others here in the athletic department at the university. So, in all honesty, no, because I was at a

great place. And so, you know, it was just a matter of really thinking it through. And, you know, I think the piece that I truly try to make sure of was I wasn't getting caught up in the emotions of the ups and downs of what we had just been through with the season and trying to really take a step back in a short amount of time and have some perspective on everything because, you know, we had had such an amazing year and, you know, on a Monday night in a national championship, you know, you're the wins taken out of your sales and, you know, you're trying to support your team and your, your staff. But, you know, I just wanted to make sure I ain't caught up in that and, you know, taking a step back as much as I could. And, you know,

in the moment was important. You've obviously had a lot of experience. Being an athlete yourself, you know, you set records, you go to the NAA, you win national titles there, you uptick into Division I in College Football Realm, you win a Pact 12th title, you take a team to a national championship. In sports, like as athletes, coaches, everybody in the performance world, you're always, you know, you're moving up the ladder. You're coming in to succeed somebody like arguably the greatest coach of all time in Nick Sabin.

How has your experience moving up, you know, in your journey helped you kind of not see these expectations? You come into a seat like Alabama and succeeding Nick Saban. Is there anything with that that you think about? Well, I think my journey in general is just something I'm super proud of because I've always focused on just where I'm at. And really, it's never been about getting to an Alabama or it was never even about getting even to a Washington or Fresno State. I mean, go on and on. It was about just coaching ball, loving the moment we're in, you know, raising a family and doing it with other people that had the same like-minded interest as I had in all those areas, both football and family. And so, you know, just enjoying that journey, enjoying that ride.

But I think, you know, coming here, I just can't say enough about, again, being embraced by the community. You know, Coach Saban, he's so respectful and how he's trying to handle and he wants to see. the program, you can just tell he wants it to be great. He wants it to continue to go this direction and us continue to build on all the things he's put in place. And so he's almost been over the top respectful, trying to keep that distance. And I want him to always know that, hey, this is our program because everyone who ever set foot in these buildings and that's alumni, that's former staff members, everyone who made this

place great, are always going to feel, I want them to be a part of it. it. When you play with other Alabama players, it's like they've taken a drug or something like that. They're so obsessed with Alabama, truly. Like, there's literally times I walk into the cafeteria and Roshan Evans and Derek Henry are just pointing people, you lost to Alabama, you lost Alabama. A lot of pride, yes. They truly have, like, of any other team, the most school pride have ever seen anybody else. And so now, like Will just said, you're taking over for a guy that is arguably probably the greatest college football coach of all time. You're walking into a room where guys when they commit to the school, they're expecting to win national championships.

Well, they don't argue about how many games they win. They argue about how many national championships they went. Oh, you only got two. I got three times. Which class was better. Yeah, which class was better? Was there any point for you where you sit down, you sit in the nice chair that Nick Sabin once sat in and you go, oh fuck. Like, this is, this is, I mean, it is, there's got, there's got to be a level of like, this is a lot of responsibility. And you're walking into a room of these guys signed up to be coached by Nick Saban. And now you have come in, you're like, we're going to run this. This is going to be our offense.

And keeping these kids around, especially with NIL, there's got to be a lot of tremendous, you know, pressure on that. Yeah, I mean, you know, you know what you signed up for. And I guess it just always goes back to everyone's human. And I think that being around these guys, you understand the reasons why they came here into this program. And it's Alabama football. It has a lot to do with Coach Sabin. you know, the guys and their commitments to be in here. But they are just so proud of this program.

And they want to be the ones that carry on the legacy of this place. It's been fun being around the alumni that do have that pride. I feel that. And it's, you know, it's not an ego thing. It's pride, you know. And these guys that are in this program that chose to stay here over the last couple months, they believe in this place and they know what we can accomplish. I have an appreciation that they understand.

that it's really about them and them sticking together. And the ones that stayed, man, they are, they are resilient. They're hardheaded in some ways because they, man, like, we got to win a championship. We got a chip on our shoulder. And, you know, people think we're going to fall off because of the transition and all that. So it's been fun locking arms with them and, you know, helping them realize their goals and the reasons that they came here and help us through and make this progress. Jalen Milro was quoted by saying you proved that you're the right man for the job every single day during spring ball.

What has your relationship been like with him? He's been special. He just has a heart of gold. He wants it so bad, both personally and also for this program. He takes on the responsibilities of being the quarterback at Alabama with such grace. He's there for others. He's willing to give as much as he can. Sometimes I'm just always checking in with him to make sure he's because he gets pulled in a lot of different directions. But in the end, he loves getting out there. He loves the game of football. I mean, we've talked about that a number of times.

He just loves everything that surrounds it from the teamwork and the leadership that is asked of him to, you know, just working on the daily skills. He loves the film. He just loves so much about the game itself. And, you know, it's fun being around guys that are willing to put in all the things and make the sacrifices needed to go be great. When you walk into the team meeting room for the first time, what was your message to the team when you first took the job? That's a great question.

Yeah, that was Friday night. And I knew that this was a group that had been through a lot just in the past couple days. You know, I don't remember exactly what that message was. It was a whirlwind for me and my family as well, just a few hours earlier, you know, I kind of had pretty much been off for the job, you know, been through my emotions with in regard to, you know, everything of Washington. So certainly I didn't even come close to getting through that. But knew that the team just needed to hear that I was excited about, you know,

joining them, meeting them where they're at and getting to know them and appreciated their patience because with all the noise that was around the program and all the noise that they were probably hearing individually and, you know, being pulled in different places and going different directions, They just, you know, their belief in Alabama was something you could tell and feel right away. And there's a connection with a few of the guys. And I think those guys quickly just, you know, held the team in place. There were some staff members here that did a great job. But, you know, that was a meeting, I think, just to get in there and tell them, you know,

how excited I was to be a part of this special place. I have another one. Do you? I wanted to ask him about his very first phone call when he heard that he got the job. Yeah, I mean, I felt like it was kind of going in that direction, so it wasn't necessarily a surprise. Hey, it's us to Jonas Brothers, and guess what? We have some big news. What's the news? Huge news.

We created our own podcast called, Hey, Jonas. We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts. Pretty, yeah, a pretty wide range of podcasts. trend. But this one's extra special. So how do we actually come up with a name Hey Jonas, guys?

I honestly don't remember. I think it was on a call about what we should call it. Well, we were thinking I'm originally calling it one of the early names of our band before Jonas Brothers was... This is how you guys remember it going down? Yes. I have a

very different memory of this. We were talking about a thing, a bit for the podcast, people could call in and say, hey Jonas. And then I wrote down on my little note had Hey Jonas and offered it up as a potential title for the podcast. But thanks for remembering that, guys. Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Just listen.

We don't care where you hear it. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending. Opinions are flying. And nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo.

Every episode, we're cutting through the noise. Breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind. the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athlete themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context and ask the questions everybody wants answered. Sports Slice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to Sports Slice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

And for more, follow Timbo Slic Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. The French Open is one of the toughest tests in tennis. And I know firsthand because I competed there myself. I'm Renee Stubbs. And on the Renee Stubbs tennis podcast, I'm breaking down everything happening at Roland Garris. Every match, every upset, and what it really takes to win on clay. Jenshin win. I mean, she went down in three to Rovachina, but I'm delighted.

Yeah, she's an outsider to win the French. And she likes Clay. Listen, Lernerabakina is arguably the best player in the world right now. And I actually can win on any surface. Because if she's serving, well, good luck. Consider this your court side seat to the French Open. Listen to the Renee Stubbs tennis podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHeart Women's Sports. But it was, you know, I think it was just more about being honored to, you know, to have that responsibility to be the head coach here. It's just something again I won't take lightly

and you know had thought through you know the night before just if this opportunity came up working just talking through with my family you know you know what that would all mean and you know the moving and the life changes and stuff that we'd be going through so but from a program standpoint it's just such an honor and a privilege. I want to talk about the big dogs for a second, the hogs. How has it been for them transitioning in this offense because they were they obviously ran a lot of zone read with jalen in the backfield last year but it seems like you guys from what i was told in the small little snippet is you guys are going more zone outside zone type stuff have they been picking that up because for me transitioning from like a duo gap scheme type offense into like the zone was like at one point i wanted

to quit i was like this is horrendous and then and then quickly i was like this might be the best offense you can possibly be in yeah how have they handled that transition i think that i think it's been great i think that really it's not that far off from what we what they would did before it's just a matter of where your tendencies where your priorities you know how many reps you're practicing a certain concept versus another based on compared to how they did it before we certainly got to use jalen's skill set and you know have him be a threat to with the ball as much as possible and so you know i don't feel like there's as many changes as maybe you know some of the guys i think you know It's been seamless.

Coach Cap has done a great job. He's well versed in all the schemes that we've done before, as well as being able to help the guys translate things that they had done technically of language-wise in our offense. Just that translation, he's super, super sharp. And, you know, his relationship with these guys, you can see it coming out as the spring's gone on. And just how much better they got from practice one to practice 15.

I think it's probably the position group that, if I had to pick one or two, they would certainly be in that mix as far as the improvements that they've shown here in the spring. When you're looking at, when you're recruiting guys, like everybody's got all the tangible things, the surface level things. What are some intangibles or some values or character things that you look for like when you're recruiting guys to a place like Alabama? Yeah, I think there's, you know, toughness is always going to be something that I think is

just critical of what doesn't matter where you're at. I think the game was meant to be played that way. the championship teams have that mental toughness, that physical toughness that you have to have. But I think there's also the discipline, accountability along with just, you know, a personality that kind of wide-eyed, just excited to learn, excited to grow, just feel like they haven't arrived and that there's a, there's not a ceiling that they're looking at and they're far from it if they think there is. And so it's just a matter of, you know, growth mindset. And, you know, guys, who want to come in here and be a part of something, not just, you know, it's all about me.

And, you know, so we always talk about in terms of our non-negotiables being family, accountable, and toughness. And so, you know, I think a hit on all three of those and just doing it the right way, doing it with class, integrity. And also, you know, while you're here, making sure we get that degree as well. A couple fun questions. You got a couple? I got a couple fun ones.

Okay. Give them a couple. Oh, hang on. Let me go one more. Serious boy? I might pick up one too. Okay. What traditions of Alabama do you, that you've learned about that you're keeping and keeping part of the program?

And what are some things culture-wise, tradition-wise, do you feel like you're bringing to Alabama? That's a good question. And I think that everything, I don't want to say every day I learn something. But I think, you know, there's a, there's been many times you're like, okay, I think I got this under. I think I understand this. I understand that, you know, what's important. what's been done for decades, what's been done just maybe over the last year, you know, and understanding this sounds like something they really like, but is it really a tradition,

you know? And so, you know, just I think guys, just the pride they have in some of the simple things, you know, how they look and, you know, how we practice and, you know, tucking shirts in and for workouts and practice. I mean, those are just things that, just the pride of the place that come out. Obviously there's the walk, you know, that we had and that's special. And, you know, seeing those guys do that, uh, 8A was was really cool. Um, but, you know, the fourth quarter program is something these guys just really believe in. And so a lot of these traditions are things that just are, are, they're so accustomed to. Um, and I could go on and on. But, um, you know, keeping some of those things and, and still bringing in the things that I think have been,

been good. If it adds, uh, it adds to our culture. Um, and it, is something that, you know, the guys might enjoy. You know, we're going to balance that between, you know, hey, these are really important aspects of Alabama football, and these are some of the things that have worked for me. And, you know, I'm not married to a lot of things, but I think it's more about the feel and the energy and what can we bring to add to what's already here.

Did I read something about Thundersruck? Yeah, that's with the out on game day, you know, the walk. Is that you or is that you or is that of it? Was that a Bama thing? That's Bama. I mean, that goes hard. Donner's drug goes hard. It is a good song.

Yeah. It's a classic football song. Yeah. What's a core value? Not a core value, but what is like a non-negotiable thing that you've brought with you to Alabama? As far as like a culture deal, this is how we're going to go about business. Um, honestly, there's, I mean, there's probably the guys would probably, the guys would probably say there's a lot of things. You know.

would the players say something that's something a wrinkle that's been thrown in you know well actually i can think it's up that the one that made some waves early in the spring was uh you know we play music and practice you know so that was something that had been done before so um not that i feel like you have to but i think there's a lot of benefits that can come from it um you know trying to you know well first of all the the juice and energy the vibe that can it can create but also i think there's ways you can utilize it for even, you know, distractions. Right. You know, and so, you know, there's a lot of distractions on game day, right?

Yeah. 100,000 people. There's music playing in the stadium. And so I think there's a lot of things we actually, and I tell these guys, I'm intentional on telling them the things that maybe I'm trying to do someday when I feel like they're even super locked in, you know, just cranking it up a little bit louder to see if, see if they can work through that and, you know, listen a little harder, you know, communicate a little better, you know,

know hand signals and stuff. You know, you always practice noise stuff, you know, throughout the week, especially, you know, home and away, depending if you're offense and defense. But, you know, those are just some of the things that I think are benefits of that. That was something that hit the, I know, the waves a little bit. Yeah. Our guys enjoyed it, you know, and enjoyed it. And again, it's been a positive.

Dude, as players, I think we can all agree. The music is the both. The music is the music. Are you taking requests or is this a set playlist? We're not messing with that. There's, we have specific people. and it's been transferred on. Robbie, my guy from Washington, he started it.

And I'm like, you know, we got to have the clean versions. We got to have the, you know, all of that. We got fans. We got people. We got media. We got around practice. But, you know, that, and I think he's kind of pushed it on. So they'll certainly take requests.

Yeah. And at some point, I'm sure they'll get to themes of the day or themes of the week and so forth. So you had mentioned something about tucked in shirts and basically detail. of how you operate around the facility, on the practice field, and everything else. Do you feel like you got those, you feel like you had some of those ideas when you talk all the way back to, I was on a two and eight team losing team, and then I was part of a national championship team when you played, like how those locker rooms look differently and what it takes to win.

And even if they, hey, I might sound ridiculous saying you have to have your tucked in shirt, but there's a way, I promise you, if you just trust me, these are the things that it takes over and over consistently to get to the top. You got to think Sabin's a tucked-in-shirt guy. Got to. Yeah, and it's great. Nothing's changed. But being a part, I mean, we've all been a part of bad lockerers.

We've been a part of good locker rooms and what good culture looks like and bad culture looks like. We weren't a lot of heavy rings. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Well, I think, I think is what all these things, whenever you're talking about, you know, those type of, you call it non-negotiables or whatever they are, I think it always, it always goes back to pride in who we are and that you're willing to be a part of a team.

and it's not a sacrifice, but man, looking good for us is important. And this is one of the things that we think is about looking good and looking unified and looking the way you're supposed to when you're representing Alabama, whether it's in the weight room, whether it's on the practice field or on game day. And so, you know, what your facility looks like and are you picking up after yourself? Those are just like, those are classy things you should do as just a human being. And it shows that, you know, the simple things, we're not going to overlook those. and just be out there and focus just on the football part.

And, you know, I know many programs and many people have said this same thing. And I truly believe it. How you do anything is how you do everything. And those things right there and how you treat people. We're on the road. You know, I have no doubt that these guys are going to, you know, travel well, you know, represent themselves in our program in a first class way. Hey, it's us, the Jonas brothers.

And guess what? We have some big news. What's the news, name? Huge news. We created. our own podcast called Hey Jonas. We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it.

We're the first people to do podcasts. Pretty, yeah, pretty wide range of podcasts. We're starting a trend. But this one's extra special. So how did we actually come up with a name Hey Jonas, guys? I honestly don't remember. I think it was on a call about what we should call it. Well, we were thinking I'm originally calling it one of the early names of our band before Jonas Brothers

This is how you guys remember it going down? Yes. I have a very different memory of this. We were talking about a thing, a bit for the podcast, people could call in and say, hey, Jonas. And then I wrote down on my little notepad, Hey Jonas, and offered it up as a potential title for the podcast. But thanks for remembering that, guys.

Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in.

I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise. Breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athlete themselves. Their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context and ask the questions everybody wants answered. Sports Slice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them.

Listen to Sports Slice on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slic Life 12 and the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. The French Open is one of the toughest tests in tennis. And I know firsthand because I competed there myself. I'm Renee Stubbs. And on the Renee Stubbs' tennis podcast, I'm breaking down everything happening. at Roland Garris. Every match, every upset, and what it really takes to win on Clay. Jen she went. I mean, she went down at three to Rabakina, but I'm delighted.

She's an outsider to win the French for me. And she likes Clay. Listen, Lena Rubakina is arguably the best player in the world right now. And I actually can win on any surface because if she's serving, well, good luck. Consider this your court side seat to the French Open. Listen to the Renee Stubbs Tennis podcast on the IHeart Radio app. Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHeart Women's Sports. Home way wherever they're at on their own doesn't have to just be when we're together as a team,

but those values come out in those type of actions and those type of things that you feel are important to your program. How you do anything is how you do everything. It's a phenomenal quote. Phenomenal. You want some good questions? I'm excited to hear one easy. I'm excited to hear fun questions. I'm nervous about my fun questions.

Yeah? Well, I just don't want to. I mean, I'm nervous too. When you say you're nervous, I think it's about what. That makes three of us right now. Yeah. Just got passed down the line. Now the awkward silence is really important now.

There's just playing everything out. Yeah, because I got to, because I don't want to be, I'm not going to be nasty, but I want to, I want to talk about, I do want to talk about Michigan a little bit if that's okay. But you've said there's pain there. And I don't want to go in a direction that this has been a fun interview. It's been a good time. And I just don't want to ruin the interview. So I'll pivot.

Please don't ruin this voice. I'll pivot. And we'll just talk about the SEC for a second. All right. A lot of bad dogs out here. A lot of strong dogs out here. A lot of strong head coaches. If it really came down to it and you had to fight these head coaches, do you think you're losing to any of the head coaches?

Man, I'm not even going there. I'm not going there. We won't do any of it. I'm smart enough. Yeah, smart. Didn't work. You pick one. I mean, they can go a different direction.

I was thinking, um, who, who, Who's a head coach? And this, you know, out of respect for the head coach, like who's a head coach you would love to obviously win the game? But you're, you've obviously competed in your own journey to get to, you know, Washington. Maybe it happened in Washington. Maybe it hasn't happened yet. But that you would, you know, love to be across the sideline on. You kind of pinch yourself like, yo, I'm coaching against so-and-so.

And be obviously. I mean, I think a lot of those coaches are here. And I guess I, even just going back, you know, the last. two years. It has so much respect for, you know, these coaches that have been doing it for many years, a coordinator's working their way up, just very similar to the journey I've been on. And so I've, I've stolen a lot of stuff, just like every coach does from everyone. We've watched the film. We've watched the, you know, cutups in the off season. And so, you know, you learn how, you learn what to do, you know, maybe not what to do sometimes, you know. Uh, it's,

As far as like handling your team, you know, publicly, socially and all that. So there's a lot of these just pretty much the coaches in this conference that have nothing but respect for. And, you know, I know that every Saturday, you know, you got to be at your best. And that's how it is, I think, at Alabama anyway. Everyone's going to bring their A game. You know, we've had conversations about rivalries. And we've had a lot of teams and people that I know and they felt like Alabama was their rival. you know, just because, you know, it was such a big game each and every time that game was played.

So I'm excited about, you know, lining up and, you know, being challenged to be my best each and every week against all these coaches. Is there a coach that as you're progressing through your learning curve as an offensive coordinator or a head coach, whether it's a mentor or a coach out there that kind of jumped out at you when you're learning about situational ball and how to, you know, if you saw somebody else doing it one way, you kind of dove into their tape all season long. that kind of helped you along the way. I think there's been coaches, especially when I was a coordinator. And after I'd been a head coach for five years at small college, and I think about the leadership aspect and how Chris Creighton at Eastern Michigan,

I just learned so much on how bringing a team together happened there. I think about Jeff Tedford and how, you know, they were one in 11 before we got there. And it was, you know, we're not going to, we're going to take our guys. and we're going to maximize what they can be. And the next year, you know, you're 10 and 4 and then 12 and 2 and really had nothing to do with bringing a bunch of portal guys in. It was taking who you had right there, believing in them,

putting some structure and organization together, some, you know, offensively I learned a lot, you know, during those two years there. And then, you know, Indiana, you know, being thrown in the mix there with, you know, just being part of the Big Ten and being challenged to be your best at the podcast. power five level and so you know Tom Allen you know so you know he just the passion he brought out stuck with me you know and how he dove into the relationships with the guys and so um there is something

at every place along the way I think it's a lot of times the people you work with each and every day the position coaches that I continue to learn from I'm learning from something from our coaches right now you know hired amazing staff and um to me that's the key is never stop learning never stop growing he's up your staff Nick Sheridan and he and I played together in college What have you seen from him? From who? Sheridan? Nick, yeah, yeah, yeah, your O.C.

Yeah. What have you seen from him in the grow? You play with him in college? Yeah. Oh, nice. I was a young boy. He was like a senior. Yeah, yeah.

He was a big dog. Yeah. What have you, like, seen from him to make him the man for the job to be the OC? Yeah, well, first of all, working backwards, he's done an amazing job this spring, just pulling everything together. He's more than ready for this opportunity. You know, the cool thing about him is that he was patient. You know, there's operative. He certainly could have had over the last couple of years, you know, because he is someone who is known as a very bright mind, understands the game on another level.

But we had a chance to work together in 2019 at Indiana. And he, you know, from a, from an ego standpoint or just an unselfish standpoint, move from quarterbacks to tight ends. And, you know, for me to come in and coach quarterbacks, which I feel is a big piece of being an offensive coordinator, being in that room every day. you know but learning and and working with him i remember just thinking how bright he was for considering you know his age and how many years he had actually been at a high level of football already at that time than two more years at washington you know where again he's just right there you know brings a lot of ideas brings a lot of just game planning thoughts um helping you pull everything together. It's details, but it's also a big picture, all mixed in one. And then he's just such a...

Hey, it's us, the Jonas Brothers. And guess what? We have some big news. What's the news, name? Huge news. We created our own podcast called, Hey Jonas. We invented a podcast. Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to a... We're the first people to do podcasts. Pretty, yeah, pretty wide range of podcasts throughout there. But this one's extra special. So how do we actually come up with a name Hey Jonas, guys? I honestly don't remember. I think it was on a call about what we should call it.

Well, we were thinking I'm originally calling it one of the early names of our band. Before Jonas Brothers was... This is how you guys remember it going down? Yes. I have a very different memory of this. We were talking about a thing, a bit for the podcast, where people could call in and say, Hey, Jonas. And then I wrote down on my little notepad, Hey Jonas,

and offered it up as a potential title for the podcast. But thanks for remembering that, guys. Listen to Hey Jonas on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened.

That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athlete themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions, The stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down,

give you context and ask the questions everybody wants answered. SportsSlice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to Sports Slice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slic Life 12 and the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. The French Open is one of the toughest tests in tennis, and I know firsthand because I competed there myself. I'm Renee Stubbs, and on the Renee Stubbs Tennis podcast, I'm breaking down everything happening at Roland Garris.

Every match, every upset, and what it really takes to win on clay. Jenchian win. I mean, she went down in three to Rabakina, but I'm delighted. She's an outsider to win the French for me. And she likes Clay. Listen, Lerabakina is arguably the best player in the world. right now and I actually can win on any surface because if she's serving well good luck consider this your court side seat to the french open listen to the ren stubbs tennis podcast on the iHeart radio app

apple podcast or wherever you get your podcasts presented by capital one founding partner of i heart women's sports great relationship builder he's got great personality guys i think enjoy being around him he leads in a way where he's firm you know he's got his his things that he's feel strong about, but he also, you know, enjoys, enjoys, you know, just the camaraderie and enjoys working together with the staff. And he's done an awesome job, having the entire staff all feel a part of it, you know, and that's, I think, been a big part of my success over the years is having, you know, the strengths of everyone and tapping into their strengths, you know, be why we were successful, whether it's offensively or as a full team. With guys that are working

under you and you become such a cohesive group, especially with all the success that you've had, guys are eventually going to leave. They're going to go to, you know, fine. They're going to elevate themselves and try to become head coaches just like you. When you see yourself having the success you did at Washington and inevitably will have here, do you keep something in the back of your head be like, all right, if this guy goes and I have these two guys in my head, is there always a constant game plan of a depth chart of who you would want to fill those spots? Well, I mean, in a way, it kind of happened here already.

You know, Ryan Grub was the offensive coordinator, you know, Washington with us and coming here and then I got the opportunity to be with the Seattle Seahawks. And, you know, there are guys that I would love, you know, I'm strong on trying to keep the continuity of your system. Of course, the people is where it all starts, but the continuity of the system. And I know offensively, that continuity of our system will always exist because it's the system that, you know,

we've built over many years now. But both sides of the ball, there certainly is a method. And I've done this at Fresno. this at Fresno State, did this at Washington, where there's some depth to our staff. Many guys who have called games as coordinators at the Power 5 level on both sides of the ball, guys who are just low ego willing to come in, be part of it right now. And, you know, again, I hope we are so successful to where those opportunities come up for our staff. You know, that's how I got to the place where I'm at.

And, you know, I'd be pretty hypocritical if I didn't say that if I didn't want to root for these guys to get their opportunity someday as well. Do you have a favorite postgame ritual after a win, whether it's a post game, like I always love the post game cigar, postgame beer, postgame milkshake, postgame burger. Big sandwich. Something with the family. Yeah. Maybe indulge on a meal. Yeah, it's always with the family. It's always, you know, you play day games, you play night games, so it's never the same.

But, you know, it's always with the family. You know, and if it's a day game, you'd love to have the staff over. And I think that's one thing I'm excited about here is just proximity and where we're all going to be living. You know, when you have that time, just continue to grow our group together. I'm really excited about that. But, you know, I think you just get, you're so exhausted usually from a game. And the things that go into it, winning a football game at the college level is hard. I don't care where you're at.

it takes everything and, you know, enjoying it for that little moment before you flip the Sunday morning and started all over again. I think that's a big part of the process. So trying to take a deep breath and just enjoying what happened that day after a win is a big part of, I think, the process. I think we'd feel good, man. That was awesome. That was awesome.

I appreciate you guys coming. Yeah, man. All over the country and really appreciate you guys coming to see us. Yeah. I mean, I was nervous about being here. Yeah. I mean, you walk in the door and you look at a bunch of rings and watches. Just immediately.

I'm just 1 AD and you're like, oh, my God. We're in the presence of greatness. You're in the mecca. But thank you very much. Everybody's been awesome to us. And thank you for this interview. It's been incredible. We really do appreciate it.

I mean, I appreciate that respect because I know where you guys played too. You know, and that says a lot about you guys. So thanks for coming and coming to join us. Yes, sir. Absolutely. Coach, thank you, man. And we'll hook you up with the dad. We'll hook you up with some dads.

I need it. I'll take it. Hey guys, it's us. The Jonas Brothers. I'm Joe. I'm Kevin. And I'm Nick. And guess what? We created our own podcast called, Hey Jonas. We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts.

We get to ask other people questions because we're sick and tired of being asked questions. Well, sick and tired is a strong way to put it. But, you know, tired and sick. Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy. Not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygle and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel. Help an

Acapella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the I-Heart Radio. app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where SportsSlice comes in. I'm Timbo, and every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the biggest moments

in sports and giving you the real story behind the headlines. And we're going straight to the source, the athletes themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions in the moment, and the stuff nobody gets to hear. Listen to SportsSlic on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slicalif 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok.