Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer Announces Future Plans After Tough College Football Season
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The Alabama Crimson Tide football program faced heightened expectations in 2025 with Kalen DeBoer coaching the team for the second season after the departure of legendary coach Nick Saban.
Alabama went on to finish the year 11-4, and although the Crimson Tide reached the College Football Playoff, they fell short of a national title appearance after a 38-3 loss to Indiana in the Rose Bowl.
The season included a Week 1 loss at Florida State, as well as late-season losses to No. 11 Oklahoma and No. 3 Georgia in the SEC championship game, all of it prompting questions about DeBoer’s job and future at the helm of the Crimson Tide.
Despite the noise surrounding his future, including interest from Michigan, according to On3, DeBoer denied talking to anyone from the Wolverine program.
DeBoer, on the other hand, made it clear that his commitment to Alabama was never in doubt, praising the program.
“I didn’t come here to follow Coach Saban only to turn around after two years and go somewhere else,” DeBoer said. “I mean, this is Alabama. I’m at an amazing place. That’s the way I was looking at it. I chose to be here. I love the support and love our players and love the direction and everything the staff has done to put the pieces together here over the last two years. A lot of heavy lifting’s been done to get us to this point.
“That will continue to happen. But man, we’re right here where we want to be, and I plan on being here for a while.”
The head coach acknowledged the results did not meet the program’s standard but pointed to the progress Alabama made during the season after starting the year with a loss.
“We fell short of our ultimate goal, which is to be the last team standing,” DeBoer said. “But I think we took a step in the right direction as a program.”
With expectations still as high, if not higher, entering 2026, DeBoer knows the pressure he’s facing and what the Crimson Tide faithful will demand from him.
“This is what we signed up for,” DeBoer said. “Nobody’s running away from them.
“I’m excited about the future here and what we’ve done in our last two recruiting classes (No. 6 nationally in 2026 and No. 3 in 2025 in the Rivals Industry rankings). Considering we’ve only been together for two years, we’re pushing to get over that hump.”
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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Apr 1, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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