Inside The Huskies

As a Winner, DeBoer Turns 100 — And It's Not Getting Old

The Husky coach reaches a milestone after beating Utah 35-28.
Dan Raley|
As a Winner, DeBoer Turns 100 — And It's Not Getting Old
As a Winner, DeBoer Turns 100 — And It's Not Getting Old

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Washington Huskies

Eighteen years ago, it all began for Kalen DeBoer on a hot day in tiny Seward, Nebraska, just up State Route 34 from Lincoln, in front of 912 fans, with a fourth-quarter comeback.

Coaching victory No. 1.

With temperatures topping out at 85 degrees, DeBoer made his sideline debut for the University of Sioux Falls, his South Dakota alma mater, against Concordia and took his team into the fourth quarter trailing 7-0.

Two touchdowns, a pair of missed extra points and a safety later, DeBoer was a 14-7 winner his first time out as the man in charge in 2005. His team won the total offense battle 401-193 that day, yet ran the ball for 258 yards.

On Saturday, the now University of Washington football leader guided his team past Utah 35-28 for his 100th coaching win, something his staff made sure to acknowledge in the team's postgame celebration in Montlake.

The outcome moved the fifth-ranked and unbeaten Huskies to 10-0, DeBoer's two-year record at the UW to a glossy 21-2 and his overall coaching ledger to a gaudy 100-11 counting prior stops at Fresno State and Sioux Falls.

DeBoer, who experienced an 11-year gap between his first two head-coaching stops as he learned his trade and went from NAIA football to the FBS level, was typically low key when asked about reaching his latest milestone.

"I probably appreciate it more, more and more, each win, really do," the coach said in his postgame news conference." Knowing when you're young, you're enjoying the game and you're having fun."

Now as a veteran coach, in his ninth season as the boss, DeBoer is able to impart to his players how these moments are so fleeting that they need to put everything they've got into it at all times and enjoy the success. His approach seems to be working well.

"Realizing the moment there, the guys are in, is special to me," DeBoer said. "Getting these wins and the experiences they're going to have is going to last forever."

As he makes a name for himself, DeBoer has never lost more than three games in a season. He has three NAIA national championships on his resume. At Fresno State, he outlasted UCLA in a memorable shootout. At the UW, he's beaten Oregon twice, Michigan State twice, Texas, USC and now Utah, among others.

He's put together a 17-game win streak, second nationally only to Georgia's 27 in a row, and it still feels as if he's just getting started.

"You know, hopefully, we're far from where this will end," DeBoer said. "I think I have an appreciation of that."

KALEN DEBOER'S COACHING RECORD

2005, Sioux Falls, 11-2

2006, Sioux Falls, 14-0

2007, Sioux Falls, 13-1

2008, Sioux Falls, 14-0

2009, Sioux Falls, 15-0

2020, Fresno State, 3-3

2021, Fresno State, 9-3

2022, Washington, 11-2

2023, Washington, 10-0

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Dan Raley
DAN RALEY

Dan Raley has worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, as well as for MSN.com and Boeing, the latter as a global aerospace writer. His sportswriting career spans four decades and he's covered University of Washington football and basketball during much of that time. In a working capacity, he's been to the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the MLB playoffs, the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and countless Final Fours and bowl games.

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