Sources -coach job

Washington’s Kalen DeBoer, who guided the Huskies to a Pac-12 championship and a internet site within the College Soccer Playoff Nationwide Championship recreation this past season, is negotiating a contract to replace Alabama’s Prick Saban, sources told ESPN on Friday.

If a deal will get done, DeBoer, 49, would inherit with out a doubt one of doubtlessly the most coveted jobs in college soccer — and with out a doubt one of doubtlessly the most complex — in replacing Saban, whose groups won nine SEC titles and 6 national championships in his 17 seasons on the college. Saban, who had a 206-29 file at Alabama, retired Wednesday.

Washington athletic director Troy Dannen has made an aggressive pitch to preserve DeBoer, sources told ESPN’s Pete Thamel, with a brand modern contract that would build him with out a doubt one of the ten best in all probability-paid coaches within the FBS and bigger than double his unusual annual salary of $4.2 million.

DeBoer would owe Washington a $12 million buyout if he leaves. He signed a two-one year contract extension during the 2028 season in November.

DeBoer had emerged as the Crimson Tide’s top purpose even earlier than three other that you simply may perhaps per chance well well furthermore believe candidates, Oregon’s Dan Lanning, Florida Say’s Mike Norvell and Texas’ Steve Sarkisian, withdrew from the hunt and affirmed their commitments to their unusual colleges over the last two days.

Washington hired DeBoer to resurrect its program after the Huskies went 4-8 in Jimmy Lake’s 2d season as coach in 2021. With Indiana transfer Michael Penix Jr. orchestrating Washington’s high-flying offense, the Huskies bigger than doubled their victory total during an 11-2 campaign in 2022.

This past season, Washington went 12-0 through the common season and defeated rival Oregon for a 2d time, 34-31 within the Pac-12 championship recreation, to attain the CFP for the 2d time in college historical past. The Huskies beat Texas 37-31 in a CFP semifinal on the Allstate Sugar Bowl on Contemporary one year’s Day.

Washington misplaced to No. 1 Michigan 34-13 within the CFP Nationwide Championship introduced by AT&T.

DeBoer’s hiring at Alabama may perhaps per chance well well be the apex of a meteoric rise in coaching over the last few seasons for him. A file-atmosphere receiver on the College of Sioux Falls, an NAIA program in his dwelling issue of South Dakota, DeBoer became head coach of his alma mater in 2005. Over the next 5 seasons, his groups went 67-3 and won three NAIA national championships (in 2006, 2008 and 2009). The Cougars went 17-2 within the NAIA playoffs during DeBoer’s tenure.

After working as an offensive coordinator at Southern Illinois, Jap Michigan, Fresno Say and Indiana, DeBoer replaced Jeff Tedford as Fresno Say’s coach in 2020. The Bulldogs went 3-3 within the COVID-19-delayed season in 2020, then improved to 9-3 in his 2d season, which incorporated upset wins over nationally ranked UCLA and San Diego Say.

ESPN’s Pete Thamel contributed to this document.