How DeBoer’s New Intensity is Shaping the Crimson Tide

Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer seems to have found his footing after the Week 1 loss against Florida State.

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He and the Crimson Tide have looked like a completely different team than the one that  traveled to Tallahassee, Florida. Since then, the Crimson Tide has not lost to any of their opponents. DeBoer has improved his record to 15-2 against ranked opponents. Alabama currently holds the nation's longest home-game winning streak with 16 consecutive victories, and notably, DeBoer has shown a different side to his coaching – a side marked by fire, intensity, and a commanding presence on the sideline.

This attitude from DeBoer hasn't gone unnoticed. Many Alabama fans have picked up on the difference in his demeanor from Year 1 to Year 2, but according to veteran linebacker Deontae Lawson, this isn't new from DeBoer.

"That's coach DeBoer for you. If you haven't seen that emotion from the outside, now you have. That's the coach DeBoer that we're getting used to and he's definitely evolving and we're all evolving with him – he just gets it going," Lawson said during media availability on Tuesday.

Without a doubt, filling the shoes of Nick Saban wasn't going to be an easy task, especially replacing the stern attitude and aggression he showed on the sideline and during practices. DeBoer has managed to strike that same authoritative tone in his own way–not by mimicking Saban, but by channeling his own brand of passion and aggression.

"We have a player-only meeting on Fridays, and he stayed around. When we got finished, he said what he needed to say–and he said some things, and the guys got very excited, and that was the first taste of it," Lawson recalled that moment a few weeks ago as a turning point.

This "new" demeanor wasn't just a coach trying to motivate his players; it was a leader setting the tone. DeBoer's aggressive presence in tough games has become part of Alabama's identity. His passion has not only inspired his players but is beginning to reestablish the aggressive presence Alabama is known for; it's creating an environment where players respond to his energy and match it.