After months of speculation, along with interest from other programs in last year’s coaching carousel, Alabama made it official on Wednesday by announcing coach Kalen DeBoer and the program agreed to a contract extension. DeBoer’s annual salary is set to climb by $2 million a season to $12.5 million, which places him among the highest-paid coaches in the nation. Additionally, the revised contract runs through 2033.
On the surface, the decision to extend DeBoer seems like a no-brainer. Through two years in Tuscaloosa, DeBoer is 20-8 overall and 12-4 in SEC play. He also guided Alabama to an appearance in the SEC Championship Game and a spot in the College Football Playoff in 2025. And in ‘24, the Crimson Tide were the first team out of the playoff field. DeBoer has also inked back-to-back top-five recruiting classes. Prior to Alabama, DeBoer went 25-3 with an appearance in the national championship at Washington. Counting this stint in Tuscaloosa and stops at Washington, Fresno State, and Sioux Falls, DeBoer is 124-20 overall as a head coach.
Sure, the '25 season ended on a down note with a loss to Georgia in the SEC Championship Game and a blowout defeat to Indiana in the Rose Bowl after a win over Oklahoma in the first round of the playoff. However, over the last two seasons, only Ole Miss, Georgia, and Texas have won more overall games among SEC teams than Alabama.
Although news of the extension wasn’t met with a 100 percent approval rating in Tuscaloosa, DeBoer is more than deserving of becoming one of five highest-paid coaches in college football.
The 51-year-old coach inherited an impossible standard to match by replacing arguably the greatest coach in college football history and six-time national champion at Alabama in Nick Saban. DeBoer and his staff certainly have to prove they can get the Crimson Tide back to winning SEC titles and eventually a return to the national championship game. However, based upon his first two years, along with stints at Fresno State and Washington, DeBoer is clearly among the top 10 coaches in the nation.
This extension adds much-needed stability and clarity that the program and athletic director Greg Byrne believe DeBoer is the right man for the job. And perhaps also answers some of the doubts about DeBoer has since he hasn't quite matched Saban's success.
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But make no mistake: The ‘26 season looms large for DeBoer. Alabama returns just five starters and has more preseason question marks than in recent memory. The trademark physicality and running game the Crimson Tide have been known for was clearly missing last season. With a revamped offensive line and ground attack, along with a first-time starter - either Keelon Russell or Austin Mack - DeBoer’s ability to quickly rebuild an offense in the SEC will be tested.
Alabama is also expected to open '26 outside of the preseason top 10 for the first time since '08. To make the playoff with a significant roster overhaul, the Crimson Tide can't afford any puzzling losses like this team suffered to Vanderbilt in '24 and again last year against Florida State.
Also, life in the SEC isn’t getting any easier with a nine-game conference slate starting this fall.
With Alabama among the best jobs in college football and an annual expectation to compete for and win national championships, it’s no secret DeBoer is always going to be under significant pressure to deliver high-level success. Replicating Saban’s accomplishments in the expanded playoff and NIL/transfer portal era remains an impossible standard for DeBoer.
However, with an extension and salary that places him among the top-five coaches in the game, and a roster that enters ‘26 in transition, DeBoer is under more pressure to deliver on expectations even more so than before in Tuscaloosa.
