Kalen DeBoer at Indiana: Revisiting Washington coach's one season as Hoosiers' OC
Former Indiana quarterback Michael Penix Jr. has commanded loads of attention in the college football world this season, leading Washington to a national championship berth after finishing second in the Heisman Trophy voting.
However, there’s another Hoosiers connection in Monday’s championship game: Huskies coach Kalen DeBoer.
DeBoer, in his second year coaching Washington, spent one season in Bloomington as Indiana’s offensive coordinator in 2019, where he coached Penix under Tom Allen before bringing the quarterback to Washington after the 2021 season. Now, the pair are leading No. 2 Washington (14-0, 9-0 Pac-12) against No. 1 Michigan (14-0, 9-0 Big Ten) for all the marbles in Houston.
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Of course, DeBoer saw success before Washington, and without Penix. Prior to taking over the Huskies in 2022, the 49-year-old coach spent 2020 and '21 seasons as the head coach at Fresno State, where he went 12-6. Across head coaching stints at Washington, Fresno State and then-NAIA Sioux Falls, DeBoer has amassed an impressive 104-11 record, including a 25-2 start to his Huskies tenure.
Considering his immense success in Seattle and the Huskies' state in the CFP title game, it's worth a look back at DeBoer's one season at Indiana's offensive coordinator:
Indiana offensive stats with Kalen DeBoer
Total offense: 415.2 yards per game (51st)
Scoring offense: 26.4 points per game (87th)
Passing offense: 257.8 yards per game (35th)
Rushing offense: 157.3 yards per game (79th)
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DeBoer was announced as Indiana’s offensive coordinator on Jan. 21, 2019, after spending two seasons in the same role at Fresno State. He replaced Mike DeBord, who retired, and took over an offense that finished 70th nationally in yards per game in 2018 (395.8).
He was an instant success, with Allen calling him "the head coach of the offense." In that role, DeBoer helped raise Indiana to 51st nationally in total offense (415.2 yards per game), despite Penix Jr. dealing with injuries throughout the season. The Hoosiers also ranked 35th in passing offense (257.8 yards per game).
Indiana, in part due to DeBoer’s presence, finished with a solid 8-5 record on the season, its first with at least eight wins since 1993. The Hoosiers ended the year narrowly falling to Tennessee 23-22 in the Gator Bowl.
Outside of the loss to Tennessee, each of Indiana’s losses came against ranked opponents in then-No. 6 Ohio State, No. 25 Michigan State, No. 9 Penn State and No. 13 Michigan. The Hoosiers also nearly defeated the Nittany Lions, falling 34-27 despite DeBoer dialing up 462 yards of offense.
Indiana and DeBoer’s best performance likely came in the regular season finale, as the Hoosiers defeated Purdue 44-41 in double overtime behind 522 yards of offense. Quarterback Peyton Ramsey, starting for the injured Penix Jr., threw for 337 yards and three touchdowns on the night.
DeBoer was named one of 15 semifinalists for the Broyles Award in 2019, which is given to the best assistant in college football each season. He also helped develop NFL players Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and Peyton Hendershot.
Kalen DeBoer coaching record by year
2020 (Fresno State: 3-3
2021 (Fresno State): 9-3
2022 (Washington): 11-2
2023 (Washington): 14-0
Kalen DeBoer salary
At the time he was hired, DeBoer was Indiana's highest-paid assistant, earning a two-year contract worth at least $800,000 and up to $1 million annually in bonuses.
At Washington, DeBoer is the 44th-highest paid head coach in college football, making $4.2 million this season according to USA TODAY’s coaching salary database.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Revisiting Washington coach Kalen DeBoer's season with Indiana football
