‘In the world of Alabama football, no voice carries more weight than Nick Saban’s. The former Crimson Tide head coach has been careful in what he says about what’s happening at Tuscaloosa since he retired. But now he just used his voice to unequivocally back the massive investment in his successor, Kalen DeBoer.

“I think coaching is a competitive field, just like playing is a competitive field. And I think Kalen’s had a lot of opportunity,” said Saban to reporters during his appearance at the Regions Tradition. “I think if Alabama wanted to keep him, they needed to do what they needed to do to keep him. I’m happy he’s the coach.”

Entering his third season at Alabama, DeBoer has a strong chance to turn this into a breakout year. However, last season, Alabama suffered some major regular-season losses, including against Florida State and Oklahoma, and a quarterfinal exit to Indiana. The Tide also lost the SEC Championship game to Georgia in an embarrassing fashion. Despite that, the Tide prioritized program stability by extending DeBoer’s contract amid interest from other schools like Michigan and PSU.

By noting DeBoer’s “opportunities,” Saban was defending the Tide’s decision to pay him $12.5 million annually, explaining that if Alabama wanted to keep him, they needed to match or exceed what other schools were offering. During the playoffs last season, rumors surfaced that both Penn State and Michigan were interested in the Bama head coach. Had Alabama not beaten Oklahoma, the conversations could have escalated even further within the program.

However, DeBoer later confirmed he had no interest in outside offers, the Crimson Tide didn’t want to take any risks, which is why they agreed to sign a new seven-year contract extension valued at $87.5 million.

The deal, approved by the University of Alabama System’s Compensation Committee, extends DeBoer’s tenure through January 31, 2033. While many doubted that DeBoer could replicate that six-national-championship level of success at Alabama in the post-Saban era, the head coach is already showing glimpses of his ability.

In his first two seasons, he led the Crimson Tide to a 20–8 record and a spot in the CFP. Despite this, the Tide has not achieved the same level of success as they did during the Saban era. So, one could argue whether Kalen DeBoer’s 2025 success justifies this hefty raise. Here’s where Saban praised DeBoer for doing a “pretty good job” of leading the program through the transition over the last two seasons.

“Now if coaches change, how much does your roster change?” said Saban. “When I retired, I think 26 players moved, which was hard for the next coach, whoever it was, to overcome. And I think they’ve done a pretty good job with that transition.”

Now, DeBoer’s 2026 extension marks the first time his guaranteed annual pay exceeds Saban’s peak coaching salary.

More about Kalen DeBoer’s contract extension

With the extension, Kalen DeBoer gets a $2 million raise from his previously scheduled pay, and this raise makes the Alabama head coach one of the top five highest-paid coaches in CFB. While DeBoer now earns more per year, it is worth noting that Nick Saban was the highest-paid coach in the country ($11.1 million) during his final season at Alabama.

However, Kalen DeBoer’s new agreement includes revised buyout terms for both the coach and the university. If fired without cause, Alabama owes DeBoer 90% of his remaining salary. For example, a termination in 2026 could result in a buyout of over $67.5 million.

Meanwhile, if DeBoer chooses to leave for another position, his personal buyout starts at $10 million through January 2027 and decreases by $2 million annually. Now, with this hefty investment, we will see whether the coach brings success in the 2026 season.