CFB analyst says Kalen DeBoer’s job is safe, but not due to performance
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The college football season is approaching, and the Alabama Crimson Tide are one of the teams under the microscope. After head coach Kalen DeBoer led Alabama back to the College Football Playoff, expectations are only continuing to rise.
DeBoer’s hiring was somewhat polarizing, but he guided the Washington Huskies to the national championship game just three seasons ago. Even so, Alabama fans remain accustomed to the unprecedented success achieved by his predecessor, the legendary Nick Saban.
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ESPN’s Paul Finebaum said that despite the mounting pressure, DeBoer’s job is safe for now. The key reason, however, has little to do with on-field performance.
“I think he’s probably a lot safer than he appears,” Finebaum said on his show. “And the reason is economics. Alabama can’t afford to buy him out right now unless something cataclysmic occurs. There are situations where money is not the problem, but Alabama is a long way from that.”
Under a new contract signed in April, DeBoer has a $10 million buyout through Jan. 31, 2027. The buyout decreases by $2 million each year for two years after that.
Whoever succeeded Saban was going to have enormous shoes to fill. At the same time, that coach inherited one of college football’s premier programs. The challenge was maintaining the momentum Saban built.
By most accounts, Alabama is still moving in the right direction, just not at the level the program and its fan base have come to expect. Under Saban, the Crimson Tide were perennial national title contenders. Under DeBoer, the conversation has shifted toward simply securing a spot in the College Football Playoff.
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Chances are DeBoer will receive a couple more seasons to move Alabama back within striking distance of the CFP National Championship Game. The administration and fan base will likely accept measurable progress over the next two years.
What they won’t accept, however, is a program that isn’t any closer to competing for championships than it was when DeBoer arrived.
There’s plenty of football to play this season, and DeBoer could soon begin to feel the pressure despite signing a lucrative reworked contract last year.
Will DeBoer and Alabama make a serious push in 2026?
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