From growing up in Milbank to becoming the head coach at the University of Washington, Kalen DeBoer has had quite the journey to get to where he is today.
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Craig Mattick:
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Welcome to another edition of In Play. I'm Craig Mattick. Today's guest has skyrocketed as a college football coach. Everywhere he's gone, the football program has seen success. His first head football coaching job was at the University of Sioux Falls, where he coached three national championship teams. That's, of course, after winning a national championship as a player at USF. And then after five years at USF, it was jobs of offensive coordinator at Southern Illinois, Eastern Michigan, Fresno State, Indiana, back to Fresno State to be the head coach for two years, before getting the big break. Head coach of a Power Five conference school, and in his second year, he's got the Washington Huskies ranked in the top 10 in the country. He's got a Heisman Trophy candidate at quarterback. He's the multi-sport athlete from Milbank, South Dakota, Kalen DeBoer. Kalen, welcome to In Play.
Kalen DeBoer:
Man, it is good to hear your voice, Craig. It takes me back a couple years, and thanks for having me on, that's for sure. It's my pleasure.
Craig Mattick:
Talking to you today, it's your bye week for the Washington Huskies, you're 5-0 overall, 2-0 in the Pac-12, so we really do appreciate the time, Kalen. Of course, ranked number seven in the country. After playing college football at the University of Sioux Falls, you became an assistant coach at Sioux Falls, Washington. Could you have ever thought at that time that you would become a coach at a Power Five School?
Kalen DeBoer:
No, not really. Never really was about that. It never has been. It just kind of, as you go on your journey, and different things happen, and you get around the right people, just been really blessed and fortunate to have those times come and that was a lot of fun. Even just then, I loved the two years I spent at Sioux Falls, Washington there, under Kim Nelson, and Wayne Carney as the athletic director. Man, that was a blast. I could have coached high school football forever just on those two years alone, but the college world sucked me in soon after. Here we are.
Craig Mattick:
Did you have that deer-in-the-headlight look when you were at Washington early on, for the Warriors?
Kalen DeBoer:
I got a chance to be the head sophomore coach that first year, and just having a chance to try to put together an offense, I mean there was some things I probably was really awful at, but we all know. Some of the coaches there at that time, and Jim Trett, the basketball coach, we coached together on that team. And again, it was about having fun, and we had some great kids that even went on to play some college football on that team. And just the experience that you're trying to give the kids, it was almost like I was having that experience as well, to where I really enjoyed coaching, and saw the value in it very quickly and early in my career.
Craig Mattick:
You grew up in Milbank, you loved football, but you also loved baseball. So what was sports like in the DeBoer family up in Milbank in the late eighties and early nineties?
Kalen DeBoer:
Yeah, it was one of those where just in Milbank, you kind of had to do it all. You played, like you said, all the sports, and I mean I just loved the baseball, the football, the basketball in particular, and just every season, that season was my favorite sport. And some great experiences. I had some great coaches, Boyd Sussex, the basketball coach, just a huge influence in my life. Steve Rice through my sophomore year as football coach, Mike Busch as football. I mean, just all guys that you all are familiar with because of their careers in the state.
I think those experiences that I had then were a part of shaping who I'm today, and the value of a coach, and not taking that title too lightly just because I know that impact that we had. We had some great experiences. Came short on a couple years there at the high school level in a couple of those sports, where we had some really good teams, but fell short. That was certainly disappointing, but it might even be the pieces that helped motivate me to go on and make the most of the college experiences, and even to this day.
Craig Mattick:
Milbank has had some great football coaches over the years, Kalen, of course you mentioned Steve Rice, but Kim Nelson, Rick Swenson, Rollie Greeno, Jeremy Tostenson, of course Brian Allmendinger is there right now. But wow, they really do love their football, and they've had success with coaches up there.
Kalen DeBoer:
It is. I mean, there's kind of a, when I was especially back in Sioux Falls, all those years, coaching colleges, it just seemed like Milbank was always brought up. I can't say it was the center of the state even for sure geographically, but it just seemed like there was always someone tied to Milbank that was involved in the football world, that was doing some special things. And yeah, some great coaches, that's for sure.
Craig Mattick:
You know, were a pretty good receiver there for Milbank and the Bulldogs. But before you, this was probably maybe nine years before you were a senior, 1983 Milbanks's in the championship game, in the Dome, taking on Belle Fourche, and it was Jeff Fisher who was the big-time wide receiver. In fact, he's still got the 11A record for 11 receptions in the championship game. Do you remember that game at all?
Kalen DeBoer:
You know, I don't, and here's why. I actually grew up in a smaller town, Corona, just north of Milbank, in grade school, and that's where my family was really from. The school shut down when I was in sixth grade, and that's when I went to the big city, Milbank there, and that was quite a move. So a lot of those times, and the history of Milbank, I was still learning. Even Kim Nelson, I remember, I never really met him, I was really young at the time, and I remember a couple games while I was in middle school, I think, right when that timeframe was happening. And then he was moving on too, so I don't have a lot of those memories, but the city is small, and so I know a lot of those people, of course.
Craig Mattick:
Well, Milbank, I believe, made it to the Dome your freshman year. I think it was 1989, you played winner for the title. Did you happen to get in the game at all that day?
Kalen DeBoer:
Yeah, I did go to the game, yeah.
Craig Mattick:
Oh, you went to the game, yeah.
Kalen DeBoer:
At that time, really, freshmen, there was enough enrollment, the rosters were big enough. Freshmen did not really travel at that time, and so not even really suiting up at that time. And I think just, physically, it was kind of maybe the year after where I developed and grew up and matured to where you were able to compete at that level, whether it be basketball, football, the other sports,
Craig Mattick:
1992, your senior year, that was the best chance for the Bulldogs to make it to the dome. You guys were ranked number one that year. What happened?
Kalen DeBoer:
You want me to explain it? Yeah, that was a fun year. Really gave me that, I don't know, that feel for love for the game because the experiences were so amazing. Coach Busch was, we put together a good team there. The year before, we were I think under 500. But a lot of returners and yeah, we were undefeated, lost in the semis to Vermillion at home. It was kind of an eerie night, one of those ... The fog was in the air, a lot of snow surrounding the field. But we came up short. We had a good lead going in the fourth quarter, and turned the ball over and some things like that, and lost literally in the last minute of the game, maybe with a minute left or so. Lost by one point. So probably one of the major heartbreaking losses I know that I was a part of over many years, even coaching college.
Craig Mattick:
After Milbank, you choose the University of Sioux Falls to go play football. What about the Cougars? They didn't have a lot of success in football. You had a lot of success on the high school field. What made you choose USF?
Kalen DeBoer:
Yeah, I think really a lot of my recruitment came down to South Dakota, and that was to play linebacker. In fact, Jim Glogowski was involved in my recruitment, who's now at USF as the head football coach, because he was a defensive player there. And I didn't really feel like I wanted to play defense. I wanted to play a receiver, and Coach Young struck the right chords at the time to make me feel like I could be a big part of what was happening there. And I just really ... I loved the city of Sioux Falls and saw that opportunity. And so, again, like you said, it wasn't like they were winning a lot of games, a lot of 500 seasons. Our freshman year, we were 2-8, but it certainly grew from there because of a solid group of returners and guys in my freshman class that just kind of hung in there and hung together.
Craig Mattick:
Yeah, talk about timing. You choose USF, and so did some left-handed kid from Wyoming who played quarterback. His name was Kurtiss Riggs, and eventually you two lead the cougars to their first national championship in football. When did things start to click between you and Curtis on the football field?
Kalen DeBoer:
Yeah, I think even just in my freshman year, I remember the dorm room. I was couple of rooms down, and by a few weeks into it, I think, we just connected and hung out a lot. I guess if there was one thing I was really smart at, it was like, "Be best friends with the quarterback when you're a receiver." But yeah, we just hung out a lot, and I think probably the work ethic we each had, and the focus, just to want to do great things on the football field, it was a lot of fun. We hung out a lot, and then as time went on, especially in the latter years there, junior, senior year, there really became this intense, "Let's win a championship." And I think it wasn't just us two, it was a lot of other guys that we were surrounded with that all motivated each other to do some big things. And we put everything into it to win that championship in '96.
Craig Mattick:
The football facilities at USF when you were there, well, really there were none. Okay, let's be factful on that. Your practice field was right in the middle of the campus, and only 50 yards. I mean, what was going through your mind at the time with facilities at USF?
Kalen DeBoer:
Yeah, I think about that once in a while, and I think about how important the privacy is. And we don't want anyone watching our practices nowadays. We were in the middle of campus and anyone at any time could have watched it, just mind-boggling to me. But yeah, it wasn't much. It was grass, and by week three or four of the season, especially if a rainstorm came through, there was no grass left the rest of the year. And then, the weight room, we called it the dungeon for a reason. Obviously, the facilities are much better now than they were then. But again, it was just the right people, and it kind of has always proved to me, it's not about what you have, it's who you have and who you surround yourself with, and we just had the right coaches, with Coach Young, and the staff along with some players that really believed in each other and had great hearts and great work ethics and some pretty good talent too.
Craig Mattick:
3,400 yards receiving, 33 touchdowns, 234 receptions as a receiver at USF. You mentioned Coach Young, Bob Young was your coach. Bob just passed away here this last January. What influence did Bob have on you?
Kalen DeBoer:
Yeah, I mean, to this day, he's a part of every recruit presentation I have. It's a picture or two, one, I was a player for him. It's another one where he made a trip out to Wyoming when I was a head coach at Fresno State a couple of years back, and it's a bunch of us that are alumni, and played together, and it's a picture after the game with him. And the story I tell is really how it is, during those I think very influential times in my life, which is for everyone in college, it's an important time, and his impact, it's impossible to explain. Probably that small town kid from Milbank or Corona, and just instilling the confidence, and having some memories, understanding how to build relationships, and then, of course, just kind of watching him work every day as far as what he put into loving his players and how to bring a team together.
And then, I got to see it again from 2000 to 2004 as his assistant, and he just ... I don't know if I could do what he did, where he just turned over offensive coordinator duties to a kid, really, that was barely out of college, just a year or two. And so, I mean, just his belief, and then I think in the end, it was always us as players, and I know, even working for him, it was about, "Man, I'm not letting this guy down." That's really what it came down to because you knew he was doing everything he could for you.
Craig Mattick:
Well, Bob Young retired at USF. You were the offensive coordinator for four years, but he wanted you to succeed him. He must have felt that you were ready to become a head coach for the first time.
Kalen DeBoer:
No, I don't think I felt ... I don't know. I don't think you're ever ready. And when it is your alma mater, and if you can keep a lot of the pieces, and Chuck Morrell was a huge piece of that, John Anderson was a huge piece of that, where you got people you trust by your side, I think in that first year, especially. And a lot of continuity with players and a lot of alumni I think that really, if Coach Young wasn't going to be the coach, we got to keep it. There were just certain ways we did things. There was a culture, there was a standard and expectations. So I think that gave me a lot of confidence in that, and we reached pretty good heights there, I think. We worked efficiently, and we really had a mentality there that we continued to build on.
Craig Mattick:
Yeah, five years as head coach. You go to the national championship game four times, and you win it three times. One more note on Coach Young, before he gave the keys to the football job to you, was there anything that he said to you about being the next coach?
Kalen DeBoer:
I think it was always you ... It wasn't just a one moment. I think it was ... There was kind of a little bit of a heads-up even before that season. He just didn't want it to be this final hurrah, and maybe he didn't know for sure, but he kind of felt like this might be it. So it might've been just, overall, a lot of these him making sure you understood this is how we do this.
Craig Mattick:
"Don't mess it up."
Kalen DeBoer:
Don't mess ... Yeah, just a lot of those type of moments and culture stuff, but also just the strategies and things that he wanted to make sure he had one more chance to instill in you and make sure you truly understood what it all took.
Craig Mattick:
Kalen, I shake my head today, knowing how small of a football staff you had at USF, and what you have today for a staff at the University of Washington. Oh my gosh. I mean, the staff list runs like three pages for the Huskies. How do you keep track of such a huge staff at Washington?
Kalen DeBoer:
Yeah, it's crazy. Our staff meetings at Sioux Falls, and I'll never forget Eric Inama, who is the D coordinator now down at Lindenwood for Jed Stugart. I remember him walking into a meeting, I guess we called it a staff meeting after our national championship in January there that one year. But a staff meeting for me was just walking down the hall and standing between John Anderson and Chuck Morrell's office, and just giving them the lowdown on what was to come. I mean, there was obviously organization, I'm kind of downplaying it a little bit, but it was that easy to communicate with your whole staff, and there's a lot of part-time coaches, Curtis Riggs and a lot of other coaches there that were, especially alumni, that work day jobs and showed up to practice and would come watch the film at night.
We really became close. But yeah, it's crazy when you sit around a table now in a staff room, and there's 40, 50 people that are there, working and doing their job here at University of Washington. And it goes well beyond that when you count the managers and academics and training staff. It's a lot of people. But hire the right people, put them around you, and give them some guidance, give them some organization, and let them work, and not try to micromanage them too much. That's kind of the formula and the thing that I try to do each and every day.
Craig Mattick:
You even have a social media coach and an NIL coach. I mean, oh my goodness, where have we gone over the last few years? It's crazy.
Kalen DeBoer:
I do, I do. And there's a lot of those. Yeah, the social media piece is so critical, and they're constantly reminding me that, "Hey, we're putting this out." And you got to view everything because everything they put out is a representation of our program. So I'm watching a lot of 30 second, minute and a half videos, looking for details. And I have other coaches too that eyeball it just to make sure I don't miss something. So there's a lot of pieces to it. NIL is also a big part of that, and takes up a lot of the time. Each and every day, there's something that is NIL-related. And even just yesterday, I mean, we went down to Adidas headquarters in Portland, and did some things down there, and Alaska Airlines is a central hub here in Seattle. So a lot of stuff that we're doing there, they're a huge support for us, so huge partner with us. So a lot of NIL, a lot of just public relations stuff that we're doing every day.
Craig Mattick:
After so much success at the University of Sioux Falls, you decide to leave for Southern Illinois, and then over the next 10 years, you're not a head coach, but you're an offensive coordinator. It's Southern Illinois and Eastern Michigan, Fresno State, Indiana. Boy, a lot of moving over those 10 years. What was that 10 years like, not being the head guy but being the guy in charge of the offense?
Kalen DeBoer:
Yeah, I think first of all, once you make that first move from a place where you're, like at Sioux Falls for 10 years, and I tell a lot of coaches, I tell a lot of people getting into the profession, "Once you make that first move, and especially at the division one level, expect more moves to follow." And it's hard. I'm so appreciative of my family, Nicole and Alexis and Avery, the kids have been in a lot of different schools, and had to meet a lot of different friends. They've been on a lot of different sports teams in the school or travel teams.
There's great things to it because I think they've developed some skills in making friends and being comfortable in different places, but there's also sometimes maybe not the close best friends that you develop when you're at the same place from age whatever through high school. And so, we moved around a lot. Four years at Southern Illinois, three years at Eastern Michigan, two years at Fresno, one year at Indiana. There was kind of a trend. It went 4, 3, 2, and I'm like, "There's no way it's just going to be one year at Indiana." And sure enough, it was one year there, and then-
Craig Mattick:
Fresno State.
Kalen DeBoer:
... back out to Fresno-
Craig Mattick:
Yeah, to be the head coach.
Kalen DeBoer:
Back out to Fresno to be head coach. Yeah. Yup, yup.
Craig Mattick:
So we look at what you did at all the schools and at Fresno, and at Fresno State, you win the Mountain West Conference in 2021. But everywhere you go, it's offensive records every place you've been. Where did the offensive mind come from?
Kalen DeBoer:
I think that it's been built over time, and we don't have the ... I mean, the concepts are the same, and then you just build off those families of concepts. And I think just there's been a play calling piece that is a feel that has now become just more and more a part of it. I mean, I don't call the plays anymore. Ryan Grubb who was with us at Sioux Falls does an amazing job. He's done it the last four years now, going back to 2020, at Fresno State. But I appreciate what he paid attention to because I think there's an art to it. I think he's really been able to dive into making our offense special, and taking those families of concepts and plays, and helping them come to life. Of course, the players are the ones that have to execute it, and so I think there's a big part of teaching that's involved, a big part of organization even before that for your staff and for the players.
But it's just been developed over time and as technology becomes better and better, you're able to quickly dive into what other teams are doing, and how that might fit into your offense. The last thing I would just say is you're able to spend more time as you get to a higher level, focusing just on becoming a better offensive coach or offensive coordinator. And at Sioux Falls, it was a lot of head coaching duties, especially there in 2006, or 2005 through 2009 years. So it's been cool developing as a head coach, but also those times and years as an offensive coordinator were really fun as well.
Craig Mattick:
Football's been very good to Kalen DeBoer. 2021 at Fresno State, and then all of a sudden the level of football is about to get bigger. University of Washington is watching you, and they want to interview you. Here's a South Dakota kid coaching football, and doing a pretty good job at it. Now a Power Five school wants to talk with you. What was that interview process like?
Kalen DeBoer:
Yeah, I think they're always a little bit different depending on the situation. But in all honesty, it happened really fast. Thanksgiving weekend, and we're playing at San Jose State, and get that wind, and then some interviews and the process moved along fast. I think they had narrowed down who they really wanted to focus on, and we really hit it off during those times on the phone and Zoom calls and other communication.
And all of a sudden, you're getting an opportunity on a Monday morning, and you're in front of a whole new team by Monday night. And so, I loved Fresno State. The three places I've been at are amazing. Sioux Falls, Fresno State, and now Washington. There's bones in the program that are championship caliber and expectations. And Fresno State was that, and the people accepted me in as the head coach with open arms, and it was really hard to leave. We were doing something special there at Fresno, and I just knew that the opportunity here was too good to pass up, though. And it's been an amazing two years here with the staff and with the players that we have, and the community as well.
Craig Mattick:
Well before you said yes to Washington, that conversation with you and your wife Nicole, what was that like? I mean, she's been so supportive of you over these years.
Kalen DeBoer:
Yeah, we've moved enough to where there comes a point where an interview might be happening, and you kind just sit down and maybe ... It's usually at the end of November, right? Early December. And she kind of could feel that it was maybe one of those conversations. And the Apple Cup, which is the Washington, Washington State rivalry game was on that Friday night, and that was kind of right when everything was happening. And so, we were watching that together, and I had already kind of given her a heads-up, and she knew that there were some conversations happening. And so, it hadn't been a done deal, but I think she understood, "Wow, this is a really cool opportunity." And like you said, she's a trooper, and always going to do what we ever felt was best for our family, and this was that time and the right opportunity.
Craig Mattick:
Two daughters, how old are they now?
Kalen DeBoer:
17 and 11. Alexis is a senior in high school at Bellevue High School here, just across Lake Washington, which is a couple miles from Seattle. And then my youngest, Avery, is a sixth grader, and she's doing well. So they love football, they love being around the football team. They love game days. Very lucky that way.
Craig Mattick:
You mentioned Ryan Grubb, Chuck Morrell, guys that you guys go all the way back to the University of Sioux Falls, and even before that. It says something when people you work with follow you all around the country. And those two guys, I know Chuck was at Montana Tech for a while, but it says something about two guys. What does it say about three South Dakota guys coaching at a Power Five school?
Kalen DeBoer:
Yeah, I think, first of all, the loyalty piece, I mean, it goes both ways. These are guys that beyond just ... Man, they're really good football coaches. We've developed a relationship built on trust, and even love. I think it shows, I guess, that there was ... The level of coaching that I think was happening, even at the small college level, and the growth that was happening, and just ... I know that there was a mindset where we can always do something a little better. And we were able to be critical. Because of the relationship we had, we were able to be critical with each other and push each other to be better, which I think, and again, players make plays, and our guys made plays to help us win championships at Sioux Falls.
But just all the processes we had in place, I think we just pushed each other to be our best. We continue to do that to this day, just not getting defensive when someone calls you out or approaches you with something that is an area maybe we can improve. And I think that's a huge piece to a lot of our staff, not just those two and myself. I think that's a lot of what our staff is, there's a philosophy that we're in it for the right reasons for these players, these student athletes, and we want to give them that experience just like I had when I was at Sioux Falls as a player under Coach Young, that this is one of the greatest times of their life.
Craig Mattick:
In your travels, from USF to Southern Illinois, Indiana, Fresno State, where along the way did it prepare you the most for where you are today?
Kalen DeBoer:
Yeah, every piece is added something. I think building a team, a championship-level team really goes to the roots of Sioux Falls. Love and trust for each other, doing anything for the team first, and then the individual accolades will come. At Southern Illinois, we were in tight games every single week in the Missouri Valley. And the play calling and just being able to handle those end-of-game moments and learning that I think happened there. I think building a team in Eastern Michigan was probably the hardest job of them all. Taking a program that really had no history, I mean, it had been 30 years since they've been in a bowl game, I think 1987, and building a culture that was one of really bottom end to a winning culture that exists today. And just being under a coach like Coach Creighton, who was so convicted in how he wanted things done.
And then, going to Fresno State, I took a lot of just what we had done offensively, and Jeff Tedford is a masterful just head coach organizational-wise, but he was known as an offensive guru. And really, when it comes to quarterbacks, he coached like Aaron Rogers and a bunch of other guys, Akili Smith, and just these top-end guys. And it kind of built a lot of just confidence in what we were doing and how we were doing it. And then, added a few things, and how he organized his program, going to Tom Allen at Indiana, more on just building a team culture and being convicted than who you're. All those things have lent to where we're at today.
Craig Mattick:
When you were at the University of Sioux Falls, I remember getting a chance to interview you once a week during the season. What is media availability like now at the University of Washington?
Kalen DeBoer:
Yeah, it's different as you go through the season. But it's as simple as early in the season, you have your Monday press conferences. And Tuesday is for the players, Wednesday is for the coaching staff again, to have media availability, and it's all after practice. And then, really, you have national media, you have different types of interviews. Maybe you might be on Sirius Radio or any of those national broadcasts.
But then, you got your press conferences on Saturday, after the game. But as we get into the season, and especially with where we're at right now, it becomes a lot more intense, and a lot more opportunities, which is great for our program. We get to talk about our kids and our program, and that's what it's all about. It's so much fun doing it. So a lot of that as we go into next week. A big home game against Oregon, and each of us are ranked high, number seven and number eight in the country, and both undefeated. There is a lot of attention and a lot of people that will be coming to campus, not just on the phone, but in person. And it's one thing for us, but it's another thing for our players too, our student athletes going to class, getting prepared to play the game at a high level, and then also just cutting hours out of their week to be available for the media. So it's cool. You got to love it and enjoy it, and I do.
Craig Mattick:
Well, you've got a Heisman Trophy candidate as your quarterback, Michael Penix Jr. Where did you run into him?
Kalen DeBoer:
Yeah, you bet. In 2019, I got a chance to go to ... When I went to Indiana to be the OC, he was a red shirt freshman, had come off a knee injury, his fall before that. And so, I didn't even have him my spring and summer, and even part of fall camp. Had another good quarterback, really good quarterback, Peyton Ramsey. But we had a quarterback competition, and Michael ended up winning the job, played about six games that year, and suffered another injury, so I didn't have him for the last half of the season. But you could see what he's capable of doing.
And when I left, he continued to have a great year in 2020 there at Indiana. 2021 was a lot tougher. The 2020 season was short, with COVID. But he didn't make it through the 2021 season. I think was just time for him to have a new start. And he had entered the portal, and then it was soon after that where actually I got the job here at Washington, and we got reconnected, and he knew what our offense was going to be all about, and we'd have the same system that he played under when I was there. I knew what he was all about, and the worlds collided in a good way, and we needed a quarterback to come in, and he was the guy, and we had the skilled players around him, and we have a solid offensive line. He saw that, and he was excited. And he is just a super human being, leads our team. He's a superstar in the community, and lives up to that in every way. So he's a blessing to have in our program, for sure.
Craig Mattick:
Husky Stadium there in Seattle, it seats what? 68,000 fans. It's full every week when you're home. Is there any time before the game or at any time that you can just stand there and take a breath, and take a moment, and think about all the folks in Milbank or South Dakota, where you've come from? Are you able to do that once in a while?
Kalen DeBoer:
Yeah, it's been really cool. I mean, I know last year, the early part of the season, I think I probably had a moment there where you kind of realized, "Wow, this is unreal." My office overlooks the stadium, which then overlooks the lake, and that's Lake Washington, and it's a beautiful setting. And we have what's called sailgating, so there's anywhere up to a couple hundred boats that might be out there on that lake, just drop an anchor, and hanging out, pregame, so it's something different than you've ever seen before.
But a lot of people have come out to see me here the last two years. And it means so much, to have friends and teammates and, of course, relatives. There's a lot of different people coming out to see what we're doing here and enjoy it for a weekend or whatever it may be. But yeah, I'm certainly lucky to be in this spot, and don't take that lightly, don't take it for granted. And I wouldn't change my path for anything. A lot of people get the opportunity early in their careers to be in a place like this, but I think it's the path and the journey that really makes it special.
Craig Mattick:
Two quick questions left for you, Kalen. You were inducted into the USF Sports Hall of Fame 2015. What did that mean to you?
Kalen DeBoer:
Yeah, I mean, it's always ... I know it's an individual award, but to me, that's about our team and all the teammates I had, and them motivating me. And, of course, I wouldn't be able to do what I did without great players blocking and throwing and throwing the ball to me. I mean, it's a lot of those things. That was a special time. And USF too gave me a lot of confidence in a lot of different ways. And it's a place that also, not just a player, but a coach. And those five years, and really 10 years, but five years as head coach, you pour more into a program. You're given everything you've got, I think as a coach and as a player. But when you're a head coach, and there's just so many inner workings that you're involved with, and you're trying to pull it all together, there's just a level of investment I think that goes above and beyond when you're a head coach. And that place will always be special to me, for sure.
Craig Mattick:
You got a lot of fans here in South Dakota, Kalen. And, of course, what? Next year, Washington officially what gets in the Big Ten? We can't wait. We can't wait for that here in the Midwest. I mean, what do you think? You get to see you play in Nebraska or Iowa or Minnesota up here in the Midwest?
Kalen DeBoer:
Yeah, and there'll be the schedule coming out here very soon too. And so, those trips out east would certainly be something where, be some familiarity for me. It'd be different for our guys and our team for the most part. But it's crazy, just how things have changed in college football, and continue to change, Washington being in the Big Ten. And it'll be a grind of a schedule. But I would also say that our Pac-12 schedule right now, we have in six teams in the top 25. We have five of left on the season, so we're used to that, and we just focus on playing one game at a time, but it's going to be a fun challenge. And it'd be opportunities to reconnect with people from back home, I'm sure throughout the upcoming years.
Craig Mattick:
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