Washington's Kalen DeBoer voted AP Coach of Year

Field Level Media|published: Tue 19th December, 13:34 2023

Dec 1, 2023; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Washington Huskies head coach Kalen DeBoer reacts as players celebrate after the Huskies defeated the Oregon Ducks 31-34 to win the Pac-12 Championship at Allegiant Stadium. credits: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

Kalen DeBoer was voted the 2023 Associated Press Coach of the Year on Tuesday after guiding Washington to a 13-0 record, the Pac-12 championship and a spot in the College Football Playoff.

The Huskies are 23-2 in two seasons under DeBoer, who received 30 of the 52 first-place votes and 113 total points in the balloting by the AP's Top 25 poll voters.

Florida State's Mike Norvell (57 points) finished second, followed by Missouri's Eli Drinkwitz (38) and Jedd Fisch of Arizona (28).

"It's all about the people around me. This is a team award," DeBoer said told the AP. "When you win, I tell the players this, you win football games, you're going to get recognized and more awards are going to get shared. I'm fortunate enough to kind of be the figurehead of our team and receive these cool awards. Just really blessed."

DeBoer, 49, is the first Washington coach to win the award and the first Pac-12 coach honored since Colorado's Mike MacIntyre in 2016.

Before inheriting a Huskies team that finished 4-8 in 2021, he was 67-3 with three NAIA championships at his alma mater Sioux Falls (2005-09) and 12-6 in two seasons at Fresno State (2020-21).

No. 2 Washington will face No. 3 Texas (12-1) in the Sugar Bowl on New Year's Day in New Orleans. The winner will play either No. 1 Michigan or No. 4 Alabama for the national championship on Jan. 8 in Houston.

—Field Level Media

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