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Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer says quiet part out loud about national title expectations appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Kalen DeBoer is entering his third season as the head coach of Alabama football. After missing the playoffs in his first season, DeBoer led the Tide to the playoffs in 2025, falling in the Rose Bowl to Indiana. Regardless, some pundits, such as Stephen A. Smith, think Alabama needs to get rid of DeBoer because he will not lead them to a national championship.
At SEC Media Days, DeBoer spoke about the expectations that come with being the Alabama coach, per Brett McMurphy of On3.
“Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer asked if his Tide career will be defined by if he wins a national title: ‘I wouldn’t doubt that’s the case,'” McMurphy posted on X, formerly Twitter.
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Alabama has won 18 national championships. Bear Bryant won six national championships, but the two coaches who followed Bryant failed to win a title and lasted just seven seasons with the program combined. Gene Stallings won a title for Alabama in 1992, but after he left the program, Alabama went through three coaches in ten years without a title before Nick Saban arrived.
Saban won six titles with the Tide and set the bar high for whoever took over. DeBoer understands what comes with replacing Saban, according to Matt Stahl of AL.com.
“I love that challenge. I love the internal challenge and the moment of trying to bring a team together to be the best we can be, and I also love the challenge of taking a program and, you know, one year winning a championship is hard,” DeBoer said. “What’s so impressive with what coach Saban did for so many years is doing it again, because you know everyone is coming after you and everyone will bring their best when they face you on the football field. So that’s why I understand, what I understand took place and happened here during the great times and coach Saban leading the charge here. I also love the challenge of trying to continue to build on that and add to this program’s great history.”
The Tide will be in a position to contend in the SEC this year. They open their 2026 campaign on September 5 against East Carolina.
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