| FTBL Video: Kalen DeBoer On Building Alabama His Way, Jalen Milroe’s X-Factor & Upholding Tradition of Winning

[TerryP]

 

[Brandon Van de Graaff]

It still kills me that he's done so many of these sitdowns that he gets peppered with the same questions, but at this point, you have to really think outside the box to get fresh juice from the lime. Anyway, DeBoer has talked about it before, but moving to a morning practice schedule is interesting... It's a little more NFL like these days than it is college. But it offers things like more post-practice treatment for the players, more flexibility for meetings, etc. and it is certainly more player friendly in terms of their time away from the field/complex. It should, IMO, also translate to a team that is ready to go for 11 am kicks... something that Bama will see more of with the new TV contracts/agreements... and it won't always be the MTSU's of the world either, where Bama can afford to come out sleepwalking for a half.

 

[TerryP]

It still kills me that he's done so many of these sitdowns that he gets peppered with the same questions, but at this point, you have to really think outside the box to get fresh juice from the lime

It kills me that he's still spending so much time on the 'media circle.' I'm about ready to say, "okay, Coach, time to stop placating the media and focus." The problem I have with myself here is I haven't seen a lack of focus.

I said when he took over we're looking at a different era in the building. Some of it still shocks me a bit. "Shocks" isn't the right word.

I'll fall back to a familiar retort, "just sit back and watch."

 

[musso]

Really good points, @Brandon Van de Graaff .

It kills me that he's still spending so much time on the 'media circle.' I'm about ready to say, "okay, Coach, time to stop placating the media and focus."

Yea I can't believe how media continues to get access to him just to rehash the same old topics. Does UA not have a PR specialist who negotiates the topics and questions to be covered beforehand??? Every press encounter should be used constructively and in an edifying manner for the program. This means letting CKD talk about himself and promote himself without having to continue kissing the ring of the previous coach. We need fans and future recruits to get to know the CURRENT coach and his vision, not the retired coach! Let another department do all the historical work on the Saban era like the University did with the Bryant era.

 

[Brandon Van de Graaff]

mando had a thread right after DeBoer was hired, asking the 5 core things DeBoer will need at Bama. My #2 dealt with this very issue... though I didn't go to deep into it. I'll take a longer dive here...

DeBoer has always been accessible, it's part of who he is. And we will see him be much more accessible than Saban ever was... and it seems even more shocking because the two were on opposite ends of the accessibility field in many ways (though Saban was more accessible than many realize or remember, especially with certain outlets and reporters). I do think a lot of what we've seen from DeBoer thus far with all these extended sit downs goes back to marketing his message and his program... he's been flooding social media to some degree. I would imagine we see a reduction in the amount of interviews going forward, after the season begins and into the future. Then again, if he enjoys them and wants to make time for them, he will. Another factor on time is that until recently, his family wasn't in Tuscaloosa with him... so he had "extra" time to do some of those things. But Josh Maxson is still on staff and over the PR/Communications team. If at any point DeBoer wants to cut back on these interviews, it'll happen immediately with a mere request.