Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer turned in a 9-4 record in his first season on the job, narrowly missing the College Football Playoff. At any other school, that would be an unquestioned success.
DeBoer finds himself in the unenviable position of following up a legend in Nick Saban, and with that comes sky-high expectations. While the Crimson Tide were far from bad in 2024, they were hamstrung by several frustrating losses — namely to Vanderbilt and Oklahoma — and they finished ranked outside the top 15 for the first time since Saban’s first season at Alabama in 2007.
Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer turned in a 9-4 record in his first season on the job, narrowly missing the College Football Playoff. At any other school, that would be an unquestioned success.
DeBoer finds himself in the unenviable position of following up a legend in Nick Saban, and with that comes sky-high expectations. While the Crimson Tide were far from bad in 2024, they were hamstrung by several frustrating losses — namely to Vanderbilt and Oklahoma — and they finished ranked outside the top 15 for the first time since Saban’s first season at Alabama in 2007.
At a program that has won six national titles since 2009, results are expected to come quickly, and DeBoer’s honeymoon period is arguably already over. Now, Alabama enters 2025 likely needing a CFP berth to restore confidence in the program’s post-Saban trajectory.
And while the idea that DeBoer is already on the hot seat entering Year 2 is almost unthinkable, pressure will quickly mount if the Tide fall short of expectations once again.
Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer turned in a 9-4 record in his first season on the job, narrowly missing the College Football Playoff. At any other school, that would be an unquestioned success
DeBoer finds himself in the unenviable position of following up a legend in Nick Saban, and with that comes sky-high expectations. While the Crimson Tide were far from bad in 2024, they were hamstrung by several frustrating losses — namely to Vanderbilt and Oklahoma — and they finished ranked outside the top 15 for the first time since Saban’s first season at Alabama in 2007.
At a program that has won six national titles since 2009, results are expected to come quickly, and DeBoer’s honeymoon period is arguably already over. Now, Alabama enters 2025 likely needing a CFP berth to restore confidence in the program’s post-Saban trajectory.
And while the idea that DeBoer is already on the hot seat entering Year 2 is almost unthinkable, pressure will quickly mount if the Tide fall short of expectations once again.
ESPN’s Harry Douglas addressed this dynamic bluntly, and during a “Get Up” appearance on Friday morning, he said that DeBoer is squarely on the hot seat entering 2025.
“I’m going to Alabama and Kalen DeBoer,” Douglas said when discussing coaches on the hot seat, per On3. “And it’s hard when you have to follow a legend. You have to follow a legend like Nick Saban and you don’t make the College Football Playoff in your first year. You don’t play for an SEC Championship. I tell you one thing, fans are not gonna wait. They’re gonna put this pressure on Coach DeBoer. He now has his offensive coordinator, Ryan Grubb, who we had at the University of Washington. Let’s see if things can get better for the Alabama Crimson Tide moving forward in 2025.”
Is Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer on the hot seat entering the 2025 season?
Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer turned in a 9-4 record in his first season on the job, narrowly missing the College Football Playoff. At any other school, that would be an unquestioned success.
DeBoer finds himself in the unenviable position of following up a legend in Nick Saban, and with that comes sky-high expectations. While the Crimson Tide were far from bad in 2024, they were hamstrung by several frustrating losses — namely to Vanderbilt and Oklahoma — and they finished ranked outside the top 15 for the first time since Saban’s first season at Alabama in 2007.
At a program that has won six national titles since 2009, results are expected to come quickly, and DeBoer’s honeymoon period is arguably already over. Now, Alabama enters 2025 likely needing a CFP berth to restore confidence in the program’s post-Saban trajectory.
And while the idea that DeBoer is already on the hot seat entering Year 2 is almost unthinkable, pressure will quickly mount if the Tide fall short of expectations once again.
ESPN’s Harry Douglas addressed this dynamic bluntly, and during a “Get Up” appearance on Friday morning, he said that DeBoer is squarely on the hot seat entering 2025.
“I’m going to Alabama and Kalen DeBoer,” Douglas said when discussing coaches on the hot seat, per On3. “And it’s hard when you have to follow a legend. You have to follow a legend like Nick Saban and you don’t make the College Football Playoff in your first year. You don’t play for an SEC Championship. I tell you one thing, fans are not gonna wait. They’re gonna put this pressure on Coach DeBoer. He now has his offensive coordinator, Ryan Grubb, who we had at the University of Washington. Let’s see if things can get better for the Alabama Crimson Tide moving forward in 2025.”
DeBoer’s track record of success is undeniable. The 50-year-old holds a 113-16 career record, winning three NAIA national championships at Sioux Falls and taking Washington to the CFP national title game in 2023 before he was hired in Tuscaloosa.
As Douglas mentioned, he now has a familiar face calling plays for him in former Huskies offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, who spent the 2024 season as the OC of the Seattle Seahawks before rejoining DeBoer at Alabama.
Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer turned in a 9-4 record in his first season on the job, narrowly missing the College Football Playoff. At any other school, that would be an unquestioned success.
DeBoer finds himself in the unenviable position of following up a legend in Nick Saban, and with that comes sky-high expectations. While the Crimson Tide were far from bad in 2024, they were hamstrung by several frustrating losses — namely to Vanderbilt and Oklahoma — and they finished ranked outside the top 15 for the first time since Saban’s first season at Alabama in 2007.
At a program that has won six national titles since 2009, results are expected to come quickly, and DeBoer’s honeymoon period is arguably already over. Now, Alabama enters 2025 likely needing a CFP berth to restore confidence in the program’s post-Saban trajectory.
And while the idea that DeBoer is already on the hot seat entering Year 2 is almost unthinkable, pressure will quickly mount if the Tide fall short of expectations once again.
ESPN’s Harry Douglas addressed this dynamic bluntly, and during a “Get Up” appearance on Friday morning, he said that DeBoer is squarely on the hot seat entering 2025.
“I’m going to Alabama and Kalen DeBoer,” Douglas said when discussing coaches on the hot seat, per On3. “And it’s hard when you have to follow a legend. You have to follow a legend like Nick Saban and you don’t make the College Football Playoff in your first year. You don’t play for an SEC Championship. I tell you one thing, fans are not gonna wait. They’re gonna put this pressure on Coach DeBoer. He now has his offensive coordinator, Ryan Grubb, who we had at the University of Washington. Let’s see if things can get better for the Alabama Crimson Tide moving forward in 2025.”
DeBoer’s track record of success is undeniable. The 50-year-old holds a 113-16 career record, winning three NAIA national championships at Sioux Falls and taking Washington to the CFP national title game in 2023 before he was hired in Tuscaloosa.
As Douglas mentioned, he now has a familiar face calling plays for him in former Huskies offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, who spent the 2024 season as the OC of the Seattle Seahawks before rejoining DeBoer at Alabama.
Despite some questions at the quarterback position, where the offseason battle continues, this roster is filled with talent, namely former five-star receiver and true freshman standout Ryan Williams. But the Tide were talented last fall, as well, and a couple of head-scratching losses held them back from competing for a national title.
While it may not completely spell doom for DeBoer, he will certainly be facing a ton of pressure following the season if that’s the case once again
