The Alabama Crimson Tide didn’t have a great season opener on the road at Florida State. This led to an embarrassing loss on national TV, and whether it’s an overreaction or not, head coach Kalen DeBoer is facing some extreme heat. Still, he believes his team is good and that Saturday just wasn’t a good showing.
“I choose to believe we've got a good football team," DeBoer said. "But we can't play on our heels. We're not going to be what we think we can be, what we want to be, if that's the case. And that falls on everyone. I don't just point the finger at the players."
If DeBoer loses another couple of games quickly, he could find himself on the way out of Tuscaloosa very soon. Replacing Nick Saban comes with pressure, but there is a high standard at Alabama.
“If you have 3 more losses like that this year, he's going to be fired. I don't care how big the buyout is. It's Alabama. You can't go 8-4,” On3’s Andy Staples said.
However, that $63 million buyout could also be DeBoer’s best friend if they struggle this season.
“Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer has one of college football's largest buyouts this season at approximately $63 million following a multi-year contract he signed in January 2024 to succeed Nick Saban with the Crimson Tide,” CBS Sports’ Brad Crawford wrote.
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If DeBoer does get fired after a bad season, former NFL running back Maurice Clarett believes he knows the right guy to replace him.
“It’s my personal opinion that if Kalen DeBoer continues to struggle down in Tuscaloosa and that if it became known that barstoolgruden was interested in coaching at Bama that they’d happily pay that buyout of $70 million and bring Gruden in,” Clarett wrote.
Jon Gruden has been out of coaching for some time but has been vocal about making a comeback, especially to the SEC. Alabama would be a premium spot to return, and he could build off of Saban’s legacy. While this isn’t set in stone, if DeBoer does get let go, this is very well going to be an option for the Crimson Tide.