To the untrained eye, what the coaches wear on the sidelines doesn’t mean much. To Alabama fans, it means everything.

Around Gump Nation, whatever coach Kalen DeBoer is wearing on gameday, it’s usually indicative of how the game is going to go.

Alabama fans were used to coach Nick Saban wearing either his signature polo, or depending on the weather, an anorak windbreaker.

To them it signified the class that represented the school and the program.

So you can imagine the surprise amongst Alabama fans when they saw DeBoer wear a black hoodie in his first game as coach against Western Kentucky. A solid black Nike hoodie with a mid size horizontal stripe across the chest that says the school’s name.

A black hoodie? From an Alabama coach? And wearing it in Tuscaloosa on the last day of August?

The end of the Saban era was here and the adjustment period took a bit of time. And when the Crimson Tide overtook Western Kentucky in his first game 63-0, at that point, who cares what the coach is wearing? 

However, as the season wore on, the growing pains grew. 

After one of the better games in college football last season where Alabama defeated Georgia by the score of 41-34, it followed up losing two out of its next three games.

It was a total stunner when the next week, Vanderbilt defeated the Tide. After that week, they just barely slipped by South Carolina 27-25, and then following that fell to the hands of Tennessee 24-27 on The Third Saturday of October.

Both of those games that Alabama lost, the black hoodie wasn’t worn.

Fast forward to a few weeks later, and the Tide built some momentum winning three in a row – including a beatdown in Death Valley at night, where they stomped LSU 42-10.

But then, a little trip to Norman, Oklahoma ruined any hopes for a possible playoff run. Alabama got smoked by the Sooners 24-3, and what’s interesting is that DeBoer wore a black hoodie to that game, but not the hoodie.

We won’t bore you with more details, but lets just say that hoodie has some kind of fascinating luck.

Alabama holds a 10-1 record when DeBoer is wearing that hoodie, and conversely has a 1-4 record when he doesn’t. One of those losses included Week 1 against Florida State, where he attempted wearing a polo and it backfired.

When asked about it on his weekly show “Hey Coach,” and if he was going to wear it during Week 5 against Georgia, he chuckled and acknowledged the superstition behind it.

“A couple players have made me aware of that,” DeBoer said. “And my family. My daughters. We’re wearing white, I definitely won’t be wearing white. I’ll wear a contrasting color. Not to leave the suspense. But more than likely with it being a night game and everything, yeah, it will probably be that. I’m not trying to be suspenseful here.”

Oddly enough, there’s a social media movement that has brewed on X, that started by UGA Barstool and Spike Squad wanting the fans to dress in all black. It’s similar to when the Bulldogs attempted that in 2008 and the Tide pulled away with a 41-30 victory.

Nearly 20 years later, what’s the worst that can happen? Especially when the opposing coach is going to be draped in black as well.

Alabama has had its way with Georgia since 2007, winning nine out of its last 10 meetups, even with the recent success Georgia has had.

Will the Bulldogs feel the wrath of the magic hoodie? Or will they chew it up and spit it out?