How Alabama’s Coaches Are Handling the Early Bye Week

The Crimson Tide won’t be playing this Saturday after securing three consecutive wins. As Alabama enters its first bye week under Kalen DeBoer, who has led the team to a 3-0 start, the break provides an opportunity to reflect on their early season performance. With fewer morning practices than usual, the team can focus on areas of improvement. In Monday’s media session, DeBoer, in his first bye week since taking over on January 12, outlined the coaching staff’s objectives during this open period.

“It’s our responsibility to keep putting them in the best position, helping them build confidence by emphasizing that preparation leads to success,” DeBoer explained. “And it’s all about belief—belief in what we do and how we do it. That’s football, and that’s how you succeed in anything. That’s the approach we’ll take during the bye week.”

DeBoer added, “We’ll use some of these days to allow the coaching staff to get ahead on game planning and schematics. There’s also recruiting and other program aspects where coaches will shift their focus.” Naturally, the purpose of the bye week centers around rest, given the demanding nature of football. DeBoer reassured that the team would take “a couple of days to relax and unwind,” as they’ve been busy long before their Week 1 matchup against Western Kentucky.

“Even though it’s only been three games, they’ve been going at it for seven weeks now with practices,” DeBoer said. “This short break will let them focus on schoolwork, catch up, or even get ahead, so they can handle their responsibilities off the field and be free of distractions when it’s time to play.” Offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan also addressed the media, focusing on the bye week goals and emphasizing the team’s “go 1-0 every day” mentality for their offensive strategy.

“You’re going to see it every week—good moments and areas that need improvement,” Sheridan said. “This group is focused, hungry, and passionate about football, so I’m not worried about their level of engagement. I expect them to be fully ‘intentional’ during a week like this. Whether it’s rest, recovery, preparation, or fundamentals, each player has different needs. The key is for each of them to make the most of this week in the way that benefits them the most. The challenge is to be intentional in addressing whatever they need to improve on.” DeBoer added that the team will get back on the field for “really solid practices” on Thursday, Friday, and Sunday, which will “give [Alabama] a head start on the next game against Georgia.”

Alabama’s highly anticipated clash with Georgia has been marked on the college football calendar since the schedule was announced. The Crimson Tide currently hold the No. 4 spot in the AP Poll, while the Bulldogs dropped to No. 2 in Sunday’s rankings after previously being ranked first in the Preseason Poll. The showdown is scheduled for September 28 at 6:30 p.m. CT, airing on ABC, and will take place at the newly renamed Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack also addressed the media on Monday, evaluating his defense’s performance through the first three weeks. He emphasized the need for more consistency in their blitz techniques and patterns, noting that they haven’t had enough reps against early opponents, which is a good problem to have. However, Wommack acknowledged that there will be no shortage of reps once SEC play begins, especially with Georgia looming, and he outlined his plan to correct these issues ahead of the tough matchups to come.

“For us, it’s about getting a head start on the next opponent from a schematic perspective,” Wommack said. “As coaches, we’ll prepare for those things. But if there are elements we haven’t faced yet or don’t see in practice, we might use walk-throughs or scout team periods to get ahead on those based on the schematics we expect from our opponents over the next three to four weeks. Managing a bye week involves several layers.” In summary, DeBoer is focused on keeping the team motivated while allowing time for rest and reflection, Sheridan is working on enhancing the offense across the board, and Wommack is eager to correct defensive issues well in advance of upcoming games for the remainder of the season.