"We put a Big Ten package in front of Kalen": Troy Dannen discloses the effort made to keep Kalen DeBoer at Washington

Kalen DeBoer made his way out of the Washington football program a week after leading the Huskies to the national championship game. While his exit didn't go well with many Huskies fans, Washington athletic director Troy Dannen said that DeBoer was offered a massive contract that was on a level with the Big Ten standards. However, it wasn't signed by the coach.

"We put numbers in front of him that were, quite frankly, unprecedented for this university," Dannen said. "We put a Big Ten package in front of Kalen, not a Pac-12 package. … When it wasn't signed, Kalen said the right things publicly, and I said the right things publicly … but it gives you pause.”

The former Fresno State coach was the selected candidate to replace Nick Saban, who retired unexpectedly after 17 years, at Alabama.

How much did Washington offer Kalen DeBoer?

According to reports, Kalen DeBoer initially turned down a seven-year deal that would have paid him $8.5 million in the first year, increasing to $9 million in 2030. Subsequently, he received another offer with a base salary of $9 million, reaching a maximum of $9.6 million.

The offer from the Huskies was a strong one that would have made him one of the highest-paid coaches in college football. It was pretty much a reward for his run with the team since taking over in 2022.

DeBoer is getting just over $10 million with Alabama. This makes him one of the highest-paid in the landscape behind only Georgia's Kirby Smart and on par with the likes of Dabo Swinney, Lincoln Riley and Mike Norvell.

Troy Dannen anticipated Kalen DeBoer's exit

While Kalen DeBoer's exit was a shocking development at Washington and within the college football world, it wasn't something Troy Dannen wasn't prepared for. The athletic director said that he had a suspicion the coach could leave the program around Thanksgiving.

“Believe it or not, I had an inkling around Thanksgiving (that DeBoer might leave),” Dannen said. “We put a pretty good contract offer on the table, and when we couldn’t get it signed, that gave me some pause.”

This implies that Dannen has been actively seeking a potential replacement for Kalen DeBoer over the past couple of months. The swift hiring of Arizona's Jedd Fisch just a few days after DeBoer's departure to Alabama showcases the due diligence he had done on the situation.