DEBOER
Kalen

• 1. Coaching career

Kalen Douglas DeBoer is an American football coach. He is the head football coach at the University of Washington. DeBoer served as the head football coach at the University of Sioux Falls from 2005 to 2009 and California State University, Fresno from 2020 to 2021. At Sioux Falls, his teams won three NAIA Football National Championships, in 2006, 2008, and 2009.

Coaching career

After graduating from the University of Sioux Falls, DeBoer remained in the city of Sioux Falls, South Dakota as an assistant coach at Washington High School. After two years at Washington, DeBoer reunited with Bob Young and returned to his alma mater as offensive coordinator, a position he held from 2000 to 2004.

Following Young's retirement, Sioux Falls promoted DeBoer to head coach on December 1, 2004. As head coach from 2005 to 2009, DeBoer had a record of 67–3 and won three NAIA national championships in 2006, 2008, and 2009 and a runner-up appearance in 2007. Two of DeBoer's losses at Sioux Falls came at the hands of Mike Van Diest's national title-winning Carroll Fighting Saints squads in 2005 and 2007.

DeBoer was the offensive coordinator at Southern Illinois from 2010 to 2013 under Dale Lennon. He held the same position at Eastern Michigan University from 2014 to 2016 under Chris Creighton, at Fresno State from 2017 to 2018 under Jeff Tedford, and most recently at Indiana under Tom Allen in 2019. The Hoosiers averaged 433.2 yards per game under DeBoer, ranking third in the Big Ten for the season.

In 2020, DeBoer was hired as the head football coach at California State University, Fresno. In the COVID-19 pandemic shortened season, he lead the Bulldogs to a 3–3 record. In the 2021 season, he led Fresno State to a 9–3 regular season record. The season was highlighted with ranked victories over UCLA and San Diego State. The Bulldogs qualified for the New Mexico Bowl, where they defeated UTEP 31–24.

On November 29, 2021, DeBoer was hired as the head football coach at the University of Washington.

In his first season with Washington, DeBoer led the team to a 10–2 regular season record. The season was highlighted with victories over ranked teams Michigan State, Oregon State, and Oregon. DeBoer was named Pac-12 Coach of the Year for the 2022 season. The Huskies finished the season with a 27–20 win over Texas in the Alamo Bowl.

Washington defeated Oregon 34–31 in the 2023 Pac-12 Championship  and DeBoer repeated as Pac-12 Coach of the Year.

DeBoer was named the 2023 Sporting News College Football Coach of the Year after leading the Huskies to an undefeated regular season. He was named Walter Camp Coach of the Year.

DeBoer and the Huskies qualifed for the 2023 College Football Playoff as the #2 seed. DeBoer helped lead Washington to a 37–31 victory over Texas in the College Football Semifinals at the Sugar Bowl.