Walking the corridors of Milbank High School in the early 1990s, IU offensive coordinator Kalen DeBoer was a star player for the small school’s football team.
On the recruiting path, Bob Young, the head coach at Sioux Falls (NAIA), encountered DeBoer. DeBoer was informed by South Dakota that he would have to go to linebacker. Young informed him that he could be a Sioux Falls wide receiver.
According to Young, “He chose USF over University of South Dakota.” They wanted to turn him into a linebacker, but I told him he could play wide receiver or pretty much any position to get him into our programme. He went with USF.
In DeBoer’s debut season as a player, the Cougars went 2-8, but Sioux Falls would never lose a game while DeBoer was on the team. Sioux Falls finished 8-3 in 1994, 11-1 in 1995, and with a perfect 14-0 season in 1996, they claimed the national championship.
DeBoer, along with quarterback Kurtiss Riggs and running back David Ruter, formed a potent offensive combo that played a crucial role in that achievement. DeBoer’s career stats included 234 receptions, 3,400 yards, and 33 touchdowns. In 1996, he was an All-American.
DeBoer also had the opportunity to play collegiate baseball in Sioux Falls, where he excelled at the NAIA level. During his final season, DeBoer batted.520 with 34 RBIs and 10 home runs. Throughout his career, he batted.492.
Due to his impressive college stats, DeBoer was able to play for one season in 1998 with the Canton Crocodiles (now the Washington Wild Things of the Frontier League). In 81 at-bats with the Crocodiles, DeBoer batted.272, per Baseball-Reference.
It was only a one-year stay for baseball in Ohio. Returning to Sioux Falls, DeBoer took a position as an assistant coach at Washington High School.
According to Young, “he went on to coach in Sioux Falls as an assistant coach at Washington High.” It didn’t take me long to contact him and bring him to USF to assist with offence.
After playing high school ball for two years, DeBoer returned to Sioux Falls to coach under Young, who swiftly rose to the position of mentor.
Over his four years as a player at Sioux Falls, DeBoer had spent a great deal of time with Young; now he got to work with his coach. But this time, at Sioux Falls, DeBoer accompanied Riggs as an offensive aide. In addition to being DeBoer’s coaching mentor in Sioux Falls, Young provided the fatherly influence that DeBoer lacked during his formative years.
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