Alabama HC Kalen DeBoer Lands Aggressive Take Amid Unrest

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Alabama Crimson Tide fans have still not warmed up to Kalen DeBoer, who took over as the team's head coach in 2024.

DeBoer was following in the footsteps of Nick Saban, who collected six national championships during his time at Tuscaloosa, so it was always going to be an uphill battle.

And while DeBoer certainly hasn't been terrible over his first two seasons, he hasn't lived up to the Alabama standard, either. At least not the gaudy one that Saban set.

DeBoer has gone 20-8 as Crimson Tide coach thus far and was just hammered by a Curt Cignetti-led Indiana Hoosiers, 38-3, in the Rose Bowl last winter.

Saban lost eight games over his last five seasons in total, so you can see why many 'Bama fans are not exactly thrilled with DeBoer up until this point.

However, that didn't stop Blake Toppmeyer of USA Today from ranking DeBoer as the third-best coach in the SEC, one spot ahead of LSU's Lane Kiffin.

"DeBoer won 20 games through two seasons as Nick Saban’s heir, he owns two wins against Smart, and he’s 5-1 against rivals Tennessee, LSU and Auburn. That’s the upside of his tenure," Toppmeyer wrote. "On the other hand, he’s served up a few mind-boggling losses. Alabama fans will expect more than 10-win seasons now that he’s settled. DeBoer didn’t run from the challenge, staying after Michigan's job opened. Alabama’s administration retains belief in DeBoer, as evidenced by his contract extension."

I'm not sure many of the Tide faithful would agree that DeBoer is the No. 3 coach in the conference, but if we're being honest with ourselves, the ranking seems fair.

Let's remember that DeBoer led Washington to a National Championship Game appearance just before arriving at Alabama, so it's not like he hadn't experienced success before.

Obviously, coaching 'Bama is a different animal, but it's only been two years, and there is no question DeBoer took a big step forward in 2025.

Of course, it would help if DeBoer could stop missing so much on the recruiting trail, but that has more to do with pesky NIL than it has to do with DeBoer's recruiting prowess.

We'll see if DeBoer can bounce back with a stronger season in 2026, although most currently are not viewing the Crimson Tide as a championship contender.

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