Alabama has committed itself to Kalen DeBoer, and now it has to live with that choice. After giving DeBoer an $87.5 million contract extension to keep him with the Crimson Tide through the 2031 season, the new benchmark in Tuscaloosa is 10-4 seasons. Even though Alabama made the College Football Playoff last year, the program hasn’t looked like a true championship contender since Nick Saban stepped away.
Fortunately, On3’s Pete Nakos reminds us that DeBoer is 20-8 since taking over at Alabama. But financially, the extension ties the Tide to a coach who is solid not elite for the next eight years. Auburn, for all its struggles, would love to have a coach stick around that long, but at least the Tigers have more flexibility at the head coach position. If Alex Golesh struggles in the SEC, John Cohen can move on from him far more easily.
That’s the reality Greg Byrne has signed Alabama fans up for by extending a top-10 caliber coach.
Auburn fans are probably laughing at DeBoer’s extension. Over the past four years two at Alabama and two at Washington DeBoer has shown he’s a smart offensive coach with clear limitations. He tends to overcrowd his coaching staff, and when pressure mounts, he panics and lacks ideal composure on the sidelines.
For Auburn, this means Alabama has effectively capped its own potential. Could the Tide win a national title under DeBoer? Maybe, but likely only one, and he might be forced out before getting a shot at a second. He’s much better than Gene Chizik ever was, but Alabama has essentially hired its 21st-century version of Gene Stallings.
In today’s fast-changing college football landscape, no one stays on top for long. The SEC has added four teams since Saban took over for Mike Shula in 2007. Now, programs like Georgia and Texas look as strong as Alabama ever did during its dynasty under Saban. Auburn may eventually return to prominence, but for now, this DeBoer deal is just wild.
Alabama probably won’t collapse under DeBoer, but we’ve clearly seen the program’s peak.
