Gary Cosby Jr.-Imagn Images
By Chris Marler
Money isn’t real in college football. It never has been.
So when I see Kalen DeBoer getting a contract extension for seven years after just two on the job, I’m not exactly moved. It’s kind of expected at this point. Watching schools and athletic departments spend nearly nine figures on contracts and subsequent buyouts has become the norm. Just ask LSU. Or Auburn for that matter. Hell, get a zoom call with both of them, and add Florida and Texas A&M to the mix.
Money isn’t real in college football. But expectations are.
Alabama may not be at the top of the mountain anymore in the sport of college football, but their expectations of winning haven’t dropped off in the slightest. So, it’s not surprising that a lot of people outside of Tuscaloosa, and even in Tuscaloosa to be honest, questioned the decision to extend a coach for seven years and $87.5 million after just two years on the job.
Kalen DeBoer receives a 7-year extension at $12.5M annually. Buyouts of $10M through January 2027, $8M through January 2028 and $6M through January 2029.
— Mike Rodak (@mikerodak) April 22, 2026
I get the second guessing. Believe me, I do, but it doesn’t make it a wrong decision. In fact it’s probably the right decision if we are being honest because of what DeBoer has brought to Alabama in the post-Saban era – stability.
The stability amongst DeBoer’s staff has been fantastic since he arrived. That’s why GM Courtney Morgan also got an increase in pay from $875,000 to $1.2 million. That’s what you do for people who are excelling at their jobs, and regardless of what faux standards most rival fans have held DeBoer to, he and his staff have exceeded where most people thought they would be. The stability though? There’s not a price you can put on that.
When Nick Saban retired, over 40 players entered the transfer portal for Alabama in the two windows available at the time. Fast forward to Spring of last year, and Alabama was the only team in the conference to not have a single transfer in the spring window. Stability. He’s also done a tremendous job of staff continuity at a time where most people in the national media saw this thing falling apart at the seams with the record coaching turnover in the last hiring cycle of college football.
Rumors were rampant that DeBoer was leaving in December and January. First it was Penn State. Then it was Michigan. Either way the resounding feeling from the media “in the know” seemed to reveal that they knew the least because the main theme regardless of where he was rumored to go was that he simply would’ve wanted out of Alabama. On top of that there was a very confident sentiment that Alabama definitely was out on him or at least would be in the near future. That was especially going to be the case if he “underperformed” again, which by their narrative meant a CFP appearance, SEC Championship appearance, CFP win, and 11 win season. How awful.
Kalen DeBoer’s new contract details on buyouts:
If he gets fired without cause (90% of remaining compensation), he’s owed:
On Feb. 1, 2027: $67.5 million
On Feb. 1, 2028: $56.25 million
On Feb. 1, 2029: $45 million
On Feb. 1, 2030: $33.75 million
On Feb. 1, 2031: $22.5 million…— Nick Kelly (@_NickKelly) April 22, 2026
Now, Alabama fans will get seven more years of that “underachieving” which if you ask them is pretty dang good considering where everyone assumed they’d be after Saban.
Stable. Relevant. Ready to compete for titles. Again.
That’s where Alabama is with DeBoer, and that’s probably worth $87.5 million in this market.
More SEC News
