College Football's Five Highest-Paid Coaches After Kalen DeBoer's Contract Extension

Alabama made its commitment to Kalen DeBoer official on Wednesday, announcing a contract extension that runs through 2033 and pays the second-year head coach $12.5 million per season.

The announcement came during a trustee compensation meeting, where athletic director Greg Byrne confirmed the seven-year deal, which adds two years to DeBoer's previous contract and hands him a $2 million raise from what he was set to earn this season.

The timing raised some eyebrows. Contract talks had been mentioned publicly as far back as December, and interest from Michigan following Sherrone Moore's dismissal added urgency to the situation. Yet the agreement wasn't finalized until late April.

DeBoer's Alabama extension, explained

The deal includes structured buyout protections for both sides. If DeBoer departs, he owes Alabama $10 million through January 2027, dropping to $8 million by January 2028 and $6 million by January 2029. If Alabama moves on from DeBoer, the school owes him 90 percent of the remaining contract with no offset requirement.

"We are pleased to extend Coach DeBoer and are proud to have him leading the Crimson Tide football program," Byrne said. "He is an excellent coach and has done a commendable job developing our student-athletes."

DeBoer has gone 20-8 overall and 12-4 in the SEC across his first two seasons in Tuscaloosa. Alabama reached the CFP quarterfinals in 2025 with a road victory over Oklahoma before falling to Indiana 38-3 in the Rose Bowl. The Hoosiers went on to win the national title.

College football's five highest-paid coaches in 2026

Leading the group is Indiana's Curt Cignetti at $13.2 million per year, a figure that reflects his rapid rise from mid-major success to national champion at the program that just defeated DeBoer's team in Pasadena.

Georgia's Kirby Smart and LSU's Lane Kiffin each check in at $13 million. Smart is a two-time national champion entering his 11th season in Athens. Kiffin arrives at LSU after going 55-19 at Ole Miss and leading the Rebels to their first CFP appearance.

DeBoer's raise slots him into a tie for fourth nationally, alongside Ohio State's Ryan Day at $12.5 million annually.

Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer is now among the top-five highest-paid coaches in college football after his recent contract extension. | Gary Cosby Jr. / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

DeBoer's extension shows what the modern coaching market demands: sustained postseason relevance, program-building credibility, and the ability to recruit against anyone. The Crimson Tide coach checks those boxes, even if his tenure at Alabama is still being written.

Alabama opens the 2026 season at home on September 5 against East Carolina.

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