Kalen DeBoer's performance by team: The story behind the 'black hoodie of death' and its significance as the Alabama coach's preferred game day clothing.

Morgan Moriarty

•
Kalen DeBoer record by outfit: How 'black hoodie of death' became Alabama coach's go-to gameday attire image

TL;DR

  • Kalen DeBoer, Alabama's new coach, is 15-3 when wearing his black hoodie.
  • DeBoer is 1-3 in other outfits, including a red polo and red dri-fit t-shirt.
  • The black hoodie has gained a nickname, "the black hoodie of death," among fans.
  • DeBoer also wore a similar black hoodie with success at Washington.

Alabama's new head coach, Kalen DeBoer, has taken on one of college football's most challenging roles: succeeding the iconic Nick Saban in Tuscaloosa. Following a 9-4 record in 2024, DeBoer's current team stands at 8-2 in 2025, having recently experienced a surprising 23-21 defeat against Oklahoma.

DeBoer, in contrast to Saban, is recognized for donning a black Alabama hoodie while on the sidelines during games. Notably, the team appears to achieve superior results when he sports this particular garment over other outfits.

Here’s a look at how DeBoer’s black hoodie has taken on a life of its own early in the 2025 season.

MORE: How Kalen DeBoer's record compares to Nick Saban in Years 1-2

Kalen DeBoer record by outfit

Through his two seasons, DeBoer has guided the Tide in 21 contests. Below is a breakdown of his performance in his game day attire: 

  • Black hoodie: 15-3
  • Other outfits: 1-3

Black hoodie

DeBoer boasts a remarkable track record when clad in the black hoodie. Throughout the 2024 season, he secured victories against No. 2 Georgia, No. 21 Missouri, and No. 15 LSU, all while wearing it. In 2025, he's already triumphed over No. 5 Georgia, No. 16 Vanderbilt, No. 14 Missouri, and No. 11 Tennessee in the black hoodie; Alabama has also achieved unranked wins against South Carolina and LSU. 

DeBoer experienced his initial defeat in the hoodie against No. 11 Oklahoma in Tuscaloosa on November 15th. Despite Alabama outgaining the Sooners by almost 200 yards, Oklahoma's defense managed to create three turnovers. This marked No. 4 Alabama's first home loss in 18 matchups, concluding the longest ongoing streak in college football.

During the 2024 season, he experienced two defeats while sporting the hoodie: one against Oklahoma, which dashed the Tide’s playoff aspirations, and another against Michigan in the ReliaQuest Bowl. Notably, the Oklahoma hoodie he donned differed subtly from his preferred dri-fit style, a point we'll explore further soon.

Here’s a look at how he’s fared wearing other outfits during his Alabama tenure.

Red polo: 0-1

DeBoer opted to wear a red Alabama polo during the Tide's Week 1 road game against Florida State.

Florida State defeated the Tide 31-17, with Quarterback Tommy Castellanos guiding an offense that amassed 382 total yards against Alabama's defense. The Crimson Tide's ground game was limited to a mere 87 rushing yards. 

Red hooded pullover: 0-1

DeBoer wore this sleeveless pullover against Tennessee in 2024. 

Alabama fell 24-17 after their defense allowed the Vols to score 24 points in the latter half. This defeat marked Alabama's second of the season, significantly impacting their position in the SEC standings.

Red dri-fit t-shirt: 0-1

Against Vanderbilt last season, DeBoer opted to wear a red dri-fit t-shirt. 

Alabama experienced a devastating defeat, arguably the worst in its program's history, losing 40-35 to Vanderbilt. Quarterback Diego Pavia led the Commodores to a total of 418 offensive yards, whereas the Tide only accumulated 84 rushing yards. This loss was the first time in four decades that the top-ranked Tide was defeated at Vanderbilt.

Black hoodie featuring red sleeves: 0-1

As of late November, Alabama was still a strong contender for the playoff, holding a 7th overall ranking with only two defeats heading into their matchup against unranked Oklahoma. DeBoer was seen in a black hoodie featuring what appeared to be red sleeves. 

While technically a black hoodie, this one stands out from DeBoer's usual black hoodies. Its material appears distinct, and it sports peculiar red sleeves that seem to be attached at the ends.

The sole rational reason for Alabama's 24-3 defeat against Oklahoma, which definitively concluded the Tide's playoff aspirations, is this.

MORE: Revisiting Kalen DeBoer's college football playing career

Kalen DeBoer's ominous black hoodie

As one might guess, DeBoer's hoodie has attracted considerable notice. It's even been given the moniker “the black hoodie of death” by Alabama supporters.

Before Alabama's matchup with Missouri in October, even the Tigers' coach, Eli Drinkwitz, joined the jest. On the SEC Coaches' Teleconference, Drinkwitz inquired if DeBoer would be sporting the hoodie. 

“Hey Kalen,” Drinkwitz said as transcribed by Al.com. “Are you gonna wear the black hoodie of death on the sideline this game, with us wearing black jerseys?”

“Oh, coach Drink,” DeBoer said, before both coaches laughed. “I gotta fit in somehow. More than likely. We’ll see what the forecast is. I kind of know, but yeah, I’m executing that, so it’s kind of got its own life of its own right now.”

“That’s only question I needed to find out for the day,” Drinkwitz said.

DeBoer indeed wore his black hoodie during the ranked game, which concluded with The Crimson Tide winning 27-24.

DeBoer also made an appearance on the "Bussin' With The Boys" podcast earlier this week to talk about how popular the hoodie became: 

"It's funny how something you've done for so long all of a sudden becomes a thing now," DeBoer said. "That's what I've been comfortable in for years and it does get washed, I can promise you that. There have been a couple of hot games the last few weeks."

DeBoer did wear a similar black hoodie when he was the head coach at Washington, to be fair.: 

DeBoer achieved consistent success at Washington, compiling a 25-3 record across two seasons, irrespective of his attire. He was recognized as Pac-12 Coach of the Year in both 2022 and 2023. In 2023, he garnered multiple national accolades, such as the Associated Press, AFCA, and Walter Camp Coach of the Year titles, guiding the Huskies to the national championship game.

DeBoer has maintained his preference for the black hoodie as the Crimson Tide's winning streak continues, and it's hoped the hoodie contributes in some small way to their pursuit of a national championship. 

Content Producer

News Correspondent