Kalen DeBoer Shares What Made Him Emotional After Auburn Win

The Crimson Tide head coach is now 2-0 in the Iron Bowl after experiencing his first road win in the rivalry on Saturday night.

Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer encourages his team as Auburn Tigers take on Alabama Crimson Tide in the Iron Bowl at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala. on Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025. Alabama Crimson Tide leads Auburn Tigers 17-6. | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Emotions always run high during rivalry week. Even though the Iron Bowl has now been won by Alabama six times in a row, the meaning of the rivalry has not diminished, and second-year Crimson Tide head coach experienced a whirlwind of emotions over the course of Alabama's 27-20 victory in Auburn on Saturday night.

DeBoer spoke with ESPN sideline reporter Holly Rowe on the field at Jordan-Hare Stadium after his team's triumph, and was visibly emotional as the reality that his team had just overcome its in-state rival and booked itself a ticket to the SEC Championship Game continued to set in. He shared that moment with redshirt junior quarterback Ty Simpson, whom he briefly embraced before explaining that his players give all that they can each day.

"Ty was a part of that. He kinda walked up, and just looking at that guy, knowing how important it is to him," DeBoer said Sunday during the teleconference for the two head coaches whose squads are participating in the conference title game on Dec. 6. "He's just one piece of what I think of when I think about our team. Guys who make a commitment to each other. To myself and our staff. To this program."

Simpson is one of the team's four captains. Two of them are on offense (himself and center Parker Brailsford, who came from Washington with DeBoer). One of the tenets signified with that mantle is buy-in, which DeBoer said is present all throughout the program, even in the face of an immense amount of national attention and a lot of pressure since losing the season opener.

"Commitment has to be something that's supported by action. The action that these guys have had, it goes back to the beginning of the year, just the way they've stayed the course and the way they've been resilient," he said. "Winning, really, 10 of our last 11 games with eyeballs on them every single weekend kinda waiting for something... They don't just hope that they can find a way to win. They are gonna go make it happen."

No. 10 Alabama (10-2, 7-1 SEC) will rematch No. 4 Georgia (11-1, 7-1 SEC) for the conference crown at 3 p.m. CT next Saturday. The Crimson Tide gave the Bulldogs their only loss of the campaign, doing so with a group DeBoer described as close-knit and relishes going into the trenches with.

"These guys, I love what they are, what they stand for," DeBoer said. "I love the character and who they are, not just on the football field but off the football field. These guys just give me everything they have. They give our staff everything they have, and each other as well. I'm proud to be their football coach. Love going to battle with these guys each and every week."