Alabama Faces $70M Buyout Question: 5 Possible Replacements for Kalen DeBoer

The tide is turning in Tuscaloosa, and not in the way Alabama fans hoped. Maybe it’s only Week 1, but Saturday’s showing didn’t offer a ray of hope to a restless fanbase. The Crimson Tide’s 17-31 loss to Florida State cracked the belief that Kalen DeBoer was the man to restore Alabama’s dominance. As Josh Pate said, “I woke up this morning. Against my better judgment, I pulled up my Twitter account, and there it was. ‘FIRE KALEN DEBOER’ right there. First thing I saw, all caps.” And just like that, the hottest topic is how much it would cost to move on from the current Bama HC. 

When Kalen DeBoer inked his eight-year, $87 million deal with Alabama in March 2024, the Tide were betting on long-term stability. His base salary started at $10 million and rises annually, putting him at $10.25 million for 2025. If fired without a cause, he’s entitled to 90% of his remaining contract value. That puts Alabama on the hook for a staggering $70 million buyout if they were to cut ties this December. 

Potential Kalen DeBoer replacements for Alabama

Now that the buyout is discussed, it raises one question. If the Tide writes that check, who could realistically fill the seat of Kalen DeBoer?

Clark Lea

Alabama staff writer Mike Rodak highlighted the tension in Tuscaloosa surrounding Kalen DeBoer’s future. In his X post on August 31, he wrote, “An Alabama fan just called into SiriusXM College Sports Radio and said Alabama should fire Kalen DeBoer and hire Vanderbilt’s Clark Lea.” The irony is that last season, Clark Lea handed the first SEC loss to Alabama with a 40-35 shocker, their first-ever win against a top-5 opponent. 

Clark Lea isn’t flashy. His record sits at 17-35 with three straight losing seasons before scratching out 7-6 last season. To pick him over Kalen DeBoer makes it clear how frustrated Bama fans are. Sometimes, programs value familiarity, toughness, and the ability to win ugly. If he can win at Vanderbilt, arguably the hardest job in the SEC, what could he do with Alabama’s talent pipeline? Still, would Alabama really trade in its dynasty DNA for a rebuild-style coach? That’s the tug-of-war here.

Jon Gruden

Jon Gruden’s shadow has loomed over college football searches for years, and the SEC may be his unfinished business. The 62-year-old hasn’t coached since his ouster from the Raiders in 2021 following the email scandal, but he hasn’t lost his itch. “I’d die to coach in the SEC. I’d [expletive] love it,” he said on a visit to Georgia this summer.

Say what you will about Jon Gruden’s baggage. He’s still got a Lombardi Trophy in his back pocket. His Buccaneers beat his old Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII, proof that he knows how to build and lead championship teams. He’s also a noted QB developer, molding guys like Brad Johnson and Derek Carr, a skill Alabama desperately needs in its post-Bryce Young identity crisis.

Lane Kiffin

Lane Kiffin and Alabama are like an on-again, off-again relationship that never quite dies. When Kalen DeBoer was hired in 2024, the Ole Miss HC cheekily posted, “Looking at next year’s schedule,” as if to say, don’t forget me. Back then, SEC analyst Greg McElroy swore it wouldn’t happen. “Y’all, Kiffin ain’t an option,” he said, adding that he “burned too many bridges in Tuscaloosa.” But now, his name is buzzing again. 

Social media is already in full-throttle Lane Kiffin mode. One fan posted, “Lane Kiffin might be the only man who can save Alabama Football.” Another echoed, saying, “Honestly want Lane Kiffin to be the head coach at Alabama after that FSU game.” For a program that thrives on drama and swagger, could Lane Kiffin be the ultimate redemption arc? If the Bama management is thinking about returning to the Nick Saban era, who better than Kiffin, the coach who brought an offensive overhaul whose effects are felt to this day?

Jimbo Fisher 

Maybe Jimbo Fisher flamed out at Texas A&M. Maybe his buyout there became a national punchline. But don’t forget, this is the man who delivered a national championship at Florida State. The man insists he’s ready for another shot:“I’m 59, in great shape and healthy. I’ve had success everywhere we’ve ever been,” he said on the Trials to Triumph podcast. At A&M, injuries derailed his progress. 

At Alabama, Jimbo Fisher has no shortage of elite QBs and blue-chip linemen. He knows the SEC, knows how to recruit the South, and has shown he can win on the sport’s biggest stage. Sometimes coaches flame out in one place only to find redemption in another. Just ask Pete Carroll or Nick Saban himself. If Alabama wants a proven pedigree without chasing unicorns, he might be the right gamble.

Dabo Swinney

And then there’s long-time Clemson HC Dabo Swinney. He has built the Tigers into a modern dynasty, winning two national championships and appearing in six Playoff runs. But times are changing. The ACC is losing ground in national respect, and Clemson’s recruiting advantages aren’t what they once were. Add in his Alabama roots, being born in Birmingham, being a former Tide receiver, and the homecoming narrative writes itself.

Could Alabama lure him away? Maybe not. But Dabo Swinney represents everything the Tide fanbase craves. A championship track record, a deep understanding of Alabama’s culture, and the charisma to lead a program back to the mountaintop. If boosters are going to cut a $70 million check for Kalen DeBoer’s buyout, they’ll want to swing big.

At the heart of this debate is identity. Alabama is more than a blue-blood program. It’s the gold standard of modern college football. A 9-4 debut season for Kalen DeBoer was forgivable. A Week 1 stumble to Florida State was not. The Tide doesn’t pay $10 million a year for patience.

So yes, $70 million is obscene. But in Tuscaloosa, championships are priceless. The buyout conversation isn’t going away. It’s only going to get louder if Kalen DeBoer doesn’t right the ship immediately. Because for Alabama, it’s not about the cost of firing Kalen DeBoer. It’s about the cost of staying mediocre. And that’s a price this program will never pay.