Kalen DeBoer and the Alabama Crimson Tide made some headlines this week when DeBoer brought an ice cream truck to practice to reward players with a cold, sweet treat in the near triple-digit Tuscaloosa heat.
DeBoer’s attitude and demeanor could not be in starker contrast to that of his predecessor, the greatest to ever do it, Nick Saban. That being said, there is more than one way to skin a cat, and DeBoer has been authentically himself ever since taking the job.
One person who was not extremely impressed was Paul Finebaum, who said that DeBoer’s happy-go-lucky attitude reminds him of the man Saban took over for, after a 26-23 record during his four seasons in Tuscaloosa from 2003-2006, Mike Shula.
“Well I know this may sound blasphemous, but DeBoer’s personality…reminds me a little bit of Shula,” Finebaum said during an appearance with “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP 105.5 FM in Mobile. “They were both easy going, nice, happy guys versus mean and angry and scorched earth.”
Finebaum was certainly not making the point that he thinks DeBoer will have the same lack of success at Alabama that Shula had, but seeing the change from the Saban era to the DeBoer regime has been a bit jarring, to say the least, for Alabama fans.
If you want to hear Finebaum’s full segment, you can check it out right here.
Michael Brauner is a Senior Sports Analyst and Contributing Writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @MBraunerWNSP and hear him every weekday morning from 6 to 9 a.m. on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5, available free online.
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