Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer's wardrobe has been a major topic of conversation in Tuscaloosa. And that's why he's leaning into it.
It’s taken a life of its own.
What was once started as a running joke on social media, has officially turned into a nationwide phenomenon.
The Black Hoodie.
It’s something we’ve discussed earlier in the season here at BamaRoundtable, but what head coach Kalen DeBoer wears on the sidelines of gameday has become a full-on ritual.
The last time DeBoer neglected to wear the black hoodie was the Florida State game, where the Tide lost 31-17, and since then, Alabama has not only won every game played, but that same hoodie that reads “ALABAMA” across the chest and with red diagonal lines draped across the lettering has been front and center on the sidelines.
So let’s revisit the story that we covered in September, shall we?
In the five games played where DeBoer has not worn the black hoodie, the Crimson Tide has gone 1-4. When he wears it, they’re now 16-1.
You may remember that in the Oklahoma game last season where the Tide lost 24-3, DeBoer wore a hoodie that was black, but it wasn’t the hoodie that has taken on a life of its own.
And until further notice, that hoodie is the only thing we’ll be seeing DeBoer wear.
For DeBoer, it’s something that he gets a kick out of. For as revered as the legendary Nick Saban was in Tuscaloosa, you ask him anything about what he’s wearing on the sidelines, and he would look at you like you had three heads.
“It got brought up this year with our players. They were like, ‘Coach, you got to wear it, man,’” DeBoer says with a chuckle.
And now, it’s one of Alabama’s most coveted commodities.
The team store had sold out of black hoodies last month, and now the training staff keeps several of them stored in a secure place in the Mal Moore Athletic Complex on campus.
“They’re in safe keeping where only I know about them,” says Kyle Smith, Alabama’s Director of Equipment.
In that safe space, there are seven of those very black hoodies.
Throughout the remainder of the season, don’t expect the wardrobe to change anymore. DeBoer and the rest of the program understand the assignment.
The connection to the hoodie speaks to Bama fans nationwide, who cling onto superstition as if the way they’re positioned or what they’re wearing is the sole reason the team is performing well.
No one said it had to be reasonable. But that just goes to show you the dedication Gump Nation has for its program.