Alabama's Kalen DeBoer just destroyed LSU's Lane Kiffin without even saying his name
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Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer absolutely destroyed LSU Tigers head coach Lane Kiffin this week.
And DeBoer never even had to say Kiffin’s name.
Kalen DeBoer addresses the job rumors he faced last season
This offseason’s coaching carousel was one of the wildest yet, as numerous high profile jobs opened.
DeBoer’s name was connected to several openings — including the Michigan job — but the Alabama head coach never entertained the idea of leaving.
In fact, DeBoer told Bama Online this week that he never even talked to another program.
“I never talked to anyone. Not once. I didn’t talk to anyone,” said DeBoer to BamaOnLine. “I was here at Alabama, and I don’t know how I could talk to someone and look my team in the eye when I get in front of them each and every day when we’re in the middle of a playoff run.”
The last part of that quote is extremely interesting considering what went down with Kiffin last November.
Kiffin, who was the head coach at Ole Miss in 2025, openly talked to LSU and Florida about their job openings despite the Rebels being in the middle of a playoff run.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, Kiffin left Ole Miss for LSU two days after the Rebels’ final game of the regular season.
The absurd college football calendar forced Kiffin into making a decision before the Rebels’ season was over.
But even three months later, the fact that Kiffin even put himself in that situation is bewildering. Kiffin’s worked his entire life to lead a team to a national championship. And then when his Ole Miss team was essentially locked into a playoff spot, Kiffin quit. He quit on his players. In the middle of a national championship run, Kiffin quit.
There’s no other way to put it. Kiffin quit. He saw greener grass and he looked at his team, and the city of Oxford, and made the decision to not finish the journey with his team. He quit.
DeBoer never said Kiffin’s name, but I don’t think his words are a coincidence. DeBoer made it clear that he wouldn’t even be able to look his team in the eyes if he had talked to another program while Alabama was in the middle of a playoff run.
In other words, DeBoer put his players above himself. He showed integrity.
Kiffin, on the other hand, put himself above his players. He decided to chase the shiny new object….yet again.
When Kiffin left Ole Miss for LSU, I tried to see his side. And I do understand where he was coming from. But I just can’t get past the fact that he chose to leave his team in the middle of a playoff run. If that team really meant something to Kiffin, his focus on winning a championship with that group would’ve never wavered. The phone calls would’ve gone unanswered. And he damn sure wouldn’t have quit on his players.
DeBoer didn’t say Kiffin’s name. He didn’t have to — he made his stance crystal clear.
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This story was originally published by A to Z Sports on Mar 5, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add A to Z Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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