Alabama has just settled on their football coaches’ pays. On Wednesday, the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees Compensation Committee gave the green signal for 13 coaches and staffers, including a revised contract for Kalen DeBoer. But if you dig deeper into his extension, it looks like the Tide are closing the door on other programs. 

The university confirmed a 7-year extension for Kalen DeBoer which will pay him $12.5M annually. But the most interesting part of his contract is the buyout structure. Just a few months ago, his name was linked to Michigan and Penn State openings. He didn’t interview, but in this sport, anything could happen. Alabama saw the risk and acted before someone else could.

So now, if anyone wants to poach Kalen DeBoer, it’ll cost $10 million through January 2027. That drops to $8 million the next year, then $6 million in 2029. After that, the leash loosens. That’s strategy because before this deal, the exit price was incredibly low. 

We’re talking $3-4 million to pull a sitting Alabama head coach. That’s easy for programs with rich booster collectives to poach him. Kalen DeBoer’s new extension not only rewarded him but also raised the barrier to entry. It also tells you how the program views him internally. His salary gets a $2 million increase from his previous $10.5 million annually. Then there’s the firing clause. 

If Alabama fires Kalen DeBoer without cause, it owes him 90% of the remaining deal. That’s roughly $67.5 million in guaranteed money. So despite the outside noise, the school isn’t planning on making that call anytime soon. And there’s no reason for them to actually as he’s 20-8 in two seasons, including a 12-4 mark in the SEC. 

Last year, Alabama went 11-4, made the playoffs, beat Oklahoma on the road, and then got steamrolled by eventual national champ Indiana in the Rose Bowl. That loss was ugly but if you step back and see the big picture, he handled the Nick Saban post-dynasty transition with stability. But again, this new extension means pressure because now, the expectation is that he should do better than the last two years.   

When you hand a deal running through 2033, you’re not paying for “almost” seasons. Championships and SEC titles are part of the expectation. Everyone including Kalen DeBoer knows it. 

“This University has become a special place to [my family and I], and I look forward to working to ensure that Alabama football remains at the forefront of college football,” he said after the new contract. “This program has a long history of success and an unmatched tradition that I was eager to be a part of two years ago, and I cannot wait to keep coaching our guys and bring more championships to Alabama.”

The head coach is just one of the several contract revisions that the board approved.  

Alabama doubles down on staff contracts 

While Kalen DeBoer got the spotlight, this wasn’t a one-contract day. Alabama board also approved the deals of 13 coaches and staffers, including new hires like Adrian Klemm, Derrick Nix, and Richard Owens. Klemm, notably, is on a one-year, $600,000 deal. DC Kane Wommack is locked in through 2029, with his salary climbing to $2.65 million in the final year. 

And GM Courtney Morgan is now pulling in $1.2 million annually. Altogether, Alabama’s on-field staff will make over $11.2 million this season. Factor in performance and support roles, and that number jumps north of $14 million. Still, not everyone got new deals.

Ryan Grubb, Robert Gillespie, and Freddie Roach are still on contracts through 2027 but even that feels calculated. Alabama kept flexibility where it wanted it because this entire move was about control over the staff starting with Kalen DeBoer.