New Alabama Head Coach Kalen DeBoer, will receive the 2024 Stallings Award for his remarkable football season, charitable contributions, and community service efforts. The No. 1 mantra that DeBoer has carried with him throughout his playing and coaching career is simple: “Winners win, because that’s what winners do.”
There’s no doubt, DeBoer is a winner. New boss Greg Byrne knew this from the junp after Nick Saban retired. From DeBoer's national championship playing days to his incredibly successful stint as head coach at his alma mater Sioux Falls, to his time spent climbing the Division I ladder as an offensive coordinator and, most recently, to his two years on Montlake, one thing has been clear – DeBoer knows how to win.
In 2023, that’s all he did, leading the Washington Huskies to a 13-0 record, the program’s 18th conference championship, and the team’s second berth in the College Football Playoff semifinals, as the No. 2 seed. The 13 victories were most in school history and the unbeaten regular season was the first since 1991.
Following the 2023 season DeBoer was named the Pac-12 Coach of the Year, for the second time in his two seasons in Seattle. He also earned the Home Depot Coach of the Year, and as a finalist for a long list of other coach of the year honors, more accolades are sure to come.
Named for former Alabama coach Gene Stallings, the Stallings Award recognizes DeBoer’s on field accomplishments and his significant contributions to the community. Each week during the season, DeBoer dedicated time to community service events like Husky Heroes, which involved bringing a child and his or her family from the nearby Seattle Children’s Hospital for a facilities tour and team interaction after practice, each Friday before home games.
At each home game, a local child undergoing medical challenges, served as an honorary
team captain and, in addition to joining the players on the field for the coin toss, spent pre-game time with both Coach DeBoer and UW’s live mascot, Dubs. Coach DeBoer has assembled a Unity Council comprised of players to ensure that players are heard, and the team is a player led as possible.
The Stallings Award celebrates the values Stallings exemplified throughout his coaching career – leadership and compassion. Proceeds from the award go to The Ashford Rise School of Dallas as a tribute to Coach Stallings’ late son, Johnny, who was born with Down syndrome.
The Ashford Rise School provides the highest quality early education services to children with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities. The Stallings Award will be held on May 7, 2024, in Dallas, Texas.