Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer sought advice from Tennessee’s Josh Heupel before either coach was in the SEC
Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer and Tennessee Vols head coach Josh Heupel are both from South Dakota
The Alabama Crimson Tide are set to host the Tennessee Vols on Saturday night in Tuscaloosa.
It will be the second SEC meeting between Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer and Tennessee’s Josh Heupel.
Heupel and the Vols won last year’s meeting in Knoxville.
Kalen DeBoer once sought advice from Josh Heupel before either coach was in the SEC
DeBoer and Heupel share a unique connection — they’re the only coaches in the SEC that are from South Dakota.
Heupel grew up in Aberdeen, which is about 90 minutes west of DeBoer’s hometown of Milbank.
DeBoer told The Athletic in 2023 that he visited with Heupel at Oklahoma about 15 years ago (when Heupel was the Sooners’ offensive coordinator).
The South Dakota connection helped bring them together.
“There were just some little wrinkles here and there that we pulled from people,” said DeBoer in 2023. “One year, we went down to Oklahoma because Heupel was another South Dakota guy. I didn’t really know him but we knew of each other. Our hometowns are 90 miles apart. Aberdeen and Milbank are right on the same highway, so I hopped in the car, went down there and he gave me free rein. I sat in a position meeting. He got me into a room and just started studying, and then he’d answer some of my questions. I went back to Oklahoma in 2011, when Jay Norvell was there and he was great to me.”
College football is certainly a small world. This story is another reminder of just how small it can be.
Tennessee and Alabama will kick off at 7:30 PM ET on Saturday night.
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