Paul Finebaum heats up criticism for former Washington Huskies head coach Kalen DeBoer

While he’s fresh off a dominant 30 to nothing win over the Missouri Tigers (who were once considered a darkhorse college football playoff contender), Kalen DeBoer is somehow, some way getting critiqued for *checks notes* existing.

Or, well, that’s the way it seems. 

Paul Finebaum, a noted college football commentator who is very, very experienced at stirring the pot a bit (especially with college football fanbases in the South) has taken to criticizing DeBoer, the former head coach of the Washington Huskies and the current head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of valid criticisms to heap in DeBoer’s direction and there are plenty of Washington Husky fans who will certainly enjoy seeing Alabama’s current head coach catch criticism at any given opportunity.

But Paul Finebaum is certainly bringing up some intriguing critiques of the former head coach of the Huskies.

I’m not saying those are all invalid, but it just seems weird to be talking about a first year head coach this way. 

Kalen DeBoer is learning the hard lesson of how impossible it is to follow a legendary coach like Nick Saban at Alabama

I subscribe to the policy of “never be the guy that follows the guy.” Don’t be the person who follows up a legend who has set impossibly high standards of remarkable success. A long line of coaches have experienced frustration because of these sorts of circumstances. 

It’s been that way in Tuscaloosa before with the eras of football that followed Bear Bryant’s iconic tenure. Folks in Lincoln, Nebraska are more than familiar with this sort of circumstance. It happens just about everywhere. 

And right now, DeBoer is learning this lesson the hard way. But, coaches are often confident people. Many of them feel like they can take care of any task, regardless of whatever it is. So, maybe that’s what’s happening here.

I don’t really know.

Regardless, it’s fascinating to see DeBoer get this sort of treatment after he left Seattle for Tuscaloosa. Interestingly enough, there are some in Seattle who are viewing Jedd Fisch through a similar light. College football is weird sometimes.