Kalen DeBoer contract, buyout: Alabama football coach lands extension
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Alabama football coach Kalen DeBoer received a contract extension on Wednesday, April 22, before heading into his third season at the helm.
The University of Alabama Board of Trustees approved a new seven-year contract raising his average annual salary to $12.5 million, $2 million more from what he was set to earn in 2026. The contract runs through Jan. 31, 2033, after his previous deal was set to expire in 2031.
DeBoer, who has a 20-8 record in two seasons with the Crimson Tide, was linked to openings at Michigan and Penn State this offseason. The former national championship runner-up at Washington led Alabama to a first-round College Football Playoff win over Oklahoma before falling to Indiana at the Rose Bowl in the quarterfinals.
“My family and I would like to thank the Board of Trustees, Chancellor Trant, President (Peter) Mohler, Director of Athletics Greg Byrne, our athletics administration and football staff, this community and the University for their continued support of Alabama Football,” DeBoer said in a statement. “We are excited about the opportunity to continue our time in Tuscaloosa with this contract extension. This University has become a special place to us, and I look forward to working to ensure that Alabama football remains at the forefront of college football.
"This program has a long history of success and an unmatched tradition that I was eager to be a part of two years ago, and I cannot wait to keep coaching our guys and bring more championships to Alabama."
Here's what to know of DeBoer's new contract:
Kalen DeBoer contract extension, salary
DeBoer signed a contract that increases its length to seven years on April 22, keeping him as Alabama's coach through at least Jan. 31, 2033. His previous contract was set to expire in 2031.
The new contract pays him $12.5 million per season, which makes him the third highest-paid coach in college football behind Georgia's Kirby Smart and Ohio State's Ryan Day, according to USA TODAY's salaries database.
DeBoer had $66.75 million left on his previous six-year deal before signing the extension.
Kalen DeBoer buyout
DeBoer's buyout is now set at $10 million if he were to be fired or leave through January 2027. That number falls to $8 million after January 2028 and $6 million through January 2029.
"We want Kalen to be our coach for a long time and that's where we are," Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne said via Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kalen DeBoer contract, buyout: Alabama football coach lands extension
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