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Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer hasn’t even walked to the podium at SEC Media Days yet. But ESPN’s analyst Stephen A. Smith already had his verdict ready.
During a First Take segment at SEC Media Days in Tampa, Smith was asked whether DeBoer or Lane Kiffin faces more pressure in 2026. He turned the question into something much bigger.
“He’s [DeBoer’s] lost four games each season. They were lucky to get to the postseason. This man is supposed to be about offense. They scored three points,” Smith said on ESPN’s First Take. “Give him the money just to go away. Call him Jimbo Fisher. Call him Brian Kelly. Do something. Get rid of him because he ain’t the guy.”
The Indiana reference Smith made is the one Alabama fans can’t shake. The Crimson Tide were beaten 38-3 by the eventual national champion Hoosiers in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals last season.
“Nobody should be under more pressure than Kalen DeBoer,” Smith said on ESPN’s July 21 segment of First Take. “Alabama looked like trash. I can’t even say Alabama anymore the same way because of what that man has done to the program. Eight losses in two seasons, eight losses.”
Eight losses is the number that defines the anti-DeBoer argument. Nick Saban lost eight games combined across his final five seasons at Alabama. DeBoer has matched that in just two years.
However, DeBoer is signed to a contract worth $87.5 million through 2033. That’s the buyout problem Alabama faces.
Getting rid of him isn’t just a football decision. It’s a financial one too.
Kalen DeBoer was actually a candidate for Michigan’s head coaching job before the 2026 season
When ex-Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore was fired in December 2025, DeBoer’s name came up as a possible replacement at Michigan. He publicly shut that down and recommitted to Alabama.
“I never talked to anyone, not one time,” DeBoer said in an interview with On3 reporter Chris Low. “I just don’t know how you could live with yourself and look into your players’ eyes if you’re looking at other opportunities in the midst of the season and getting ready for a playoff game and hopefully making a run at a national championship.”
That decision means Year 3 in Tuscaloosa is now his proving ground with no escape route. Alabama opens against East Carolina on September 5 before a brutal SEC schedule, per ClutchPoints.
Smith’s comments at SEC Media Days set the tone early. Whether DeBoer silences the criticism depends entirely on what happens between September and December.
Do you think Kalen DeBoer deserves more time at Alabama, or is Stephen A. Smith right? Let us know in the comments.
