‘Kalen DeBoer just secured an $87.5 million commitment from Alabama, and his immediate reaction wasn’t about the money. Going into his third season at Tuscaloosa, the Crimson Tide head coach set expectations for his staff after the program strengthened its belief in him.

“I think it gives the staff direction,” said DeBoer about his contract extension. “An understanding, also, just that everyone believes in what we’re doing… The growth that we’ve had here in two years, a lot to build off of. Going into the playoffs, making the SEC Championship.”

The University of Alabama approved DeBoer’s new seven-year contract with a salary increase of $12.5 million, which places him among the top five highest-paid coaches in college football. The deal also doubled his buyout in the case where he leaves the program in the next three years.

The new deal comes a few months after DeBoer led the Crimson Tide to the College Football Playoff for the first time in 2025. According to him, the deal is a big indicator of the program’s commitment to moving on an upward trajectory.

Following a 2025 season in which Alabama finished with an 11-4 record, a clear upgrade from the 2024 season’s 9-4 record, DeBoer is gearing up for a more outstanding 2026. The ceiling remains high in Alabama, and nothing less than a national championship will be expected from him.

“This next year, another big year. They’re all big, in my mind. You never take anything for granted, so I really appreciate the opportunity the university has given me.”

“Across the board,” DeBoer said during Alabama’s spring practice. “Everyone takes some type of ownership. It starts with me. What’s it look like in practice? What are we really focused on? What are the drills and the physicality? Those types of things. Technically, are we doing drills offensively vs. defensively?

The main struggle of the previous season was their run game, as the program averaged 104.13 yards per game—the second worst in the SEC. But the 51-year-old is not just concentrated on the run game, but on all other aspects to ensure the team has “a little improvement in all of these different areas, it’s amazing what it can look like, no matter what you’re doing. In this case, we’ve got to be better with running the football.”

If things go well, DeBoer has more than enough time to fix every flaw in the team and instill his philosophy in his players.

DeBoer and Alabama criticized for the new deal

DeBoer’s 2024 deal was an $87 million eight-year deal that ran through 2031. As a result, not everyone finds the extension necessary at this point. ESPN commentator Paul Finebaum was particularly vocal about his stance.

“One thing that happens when you put out a contract like this—which, I think most people question,” Finebaum said via The Paul Finebaum Show. “You just ratchet up the pressure on the coach. Everybody roots for people to do well, but when you’ve lost eight games over two years, and you’re rewarded by getting a $2 million a year raise to $12.5 million, most of us look at that and go, ‘Huh, for what?’

“I mean, everybody watching and listening right now works hard. They’re happy if they have a job, let alone get a raise at the end of the year. This just doesn’t look like there’s anything to it.”

However, a little dive into Alabama’s history will reveal a pattern around the extension. Saban became the program’s head coach in 2007 in an eight-year deal and received an extension after two years, despite not winning anything. In response, he delivered his first national championship after the 2009 season.

It could be the case with DeBoer, who is also entering his third season. But, as Finabaum suggested, while the new contract may signal the program’s support for the head coach, it could also be a huge trap that heightens their intolerance for any subpar performance by DeBoer.