After two losses just eight weeks into the NCAA football season, the Alabama Crimson Tide and its supporters are in a situation they aren’t used to. Alabama fans are wondering if head coach Kalen DeBoer is the right person to succeed the great Nick Saban after the team’s shocking defeat to the Vanderbilt Commodores and a loss to the Tennessee Volunteers, one of their fiercest rivals.
Throughout the 2024 season, a number of occurrences have compelled Alabama supporters to question DeBoer’s coaching style. The first pair occurred during Vanderbilt’s shocking defeat. During the Vanderbilt loss, defensive back and captain Malachi Moore kicked the ball after the official noticed it, in what many regarded as a rage. When an Alabama coach tried to get Moore off the field, Moore was also observed refusing to leave. Though incidents like these are hurting DeBoer’s case, Alabama coaches will continue to live in Saban’s shadow for years to come.
In an ESPN piece, former Alabama running back Damien Harris described what would have happened if Moore had behaved in that manner under Saban. These kinds of incidents pave the way for a much less serious offence to be treated with considerably more gravity later on. Ryan Williams, a standout wide receiver for Alabama at the age of 17, went viral after painting his fingernails Tennessee orange.
Alabama is in a situation they haven’t been in for almost 20 years after Williams and the Crimson Tide just lost to Tennessee 24–17 in an SEC matchup. Many Alabama supporters were offended by the picture, claiming that the successful coaching styles of previous coaches would not have permitted such conduct. Williams responded to the irate followers by saying that he let his younger sister paint his nails and pick the colour. In an AtoZSports piece, Williams explained the history of painted nails.
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