Greg McElroy Clears the Air on Kalen DeBoer Ahead of Alabama-East Carolina Game

The Alabama Crimson Tide begin the 2026 season in an unfamiliar place-- outside the Top 10. And some critics (most notably, ESPN personality Paul Finebaum) have depicted Tide coach Kalen DeBoer as being on a hot seat. But another SEC personality (and former Alabama stansdout) used a recent appearance on ESPN's Get Up to correct the record.

McElroy's Take-- and His Disagreement with Finebaum

ESPN analyst Greg McElroy began by noting the source of many of the most prominent rumors of dissatisfaction around the Alabma program.

"Don't get me wrong, I love Paul [Finebaum] and Paul is the best at stirring up conversation, there's no denying that," said McElroy. "In an effort to push back on the very Finebaumian response that is Kalen DeBoer in defeat or disappointment is out, let me just correct the record for a second. Kalen DeBoer is in absolutely no jeopardy of losing his job."

McElroy did not dispute that DeBoer opens year three of his Alabama tenure under significant pressure to win, but noted that the leverage in the Alabama/DeBoer relationship lies heavily with the coach and not with the school.

"Is there pressure to perform?" asked McElroy. "Of course, it's Alabama. Just like there is at Ohio State... or Oklahoma. I think that when you look at Kalen DeBoer, he was offered a blank check by Michigan at the end of last season. He decided to turn that down, therefore, he got a contract extension at Alabama because of leverage he had at that situation..... The group is rallying behind Kalen DeBoer. So anyone who suggests that there's not alignment in Tuscaloosa is just flat-out wrong."

Buyout Finances

McElroy cited a figure of approximately $67 million to buy out DeBoer's Alabama contract. At the moment, only Jimbo Fisher's massive Texas A&M buyout would cover a larger figure. That said, the Alabama job is at the epicenter of college football and DeBoer's struggles are wearing thin.

Alabama's Up-and-Down History

Alabama is 20-8 in DeBoer's first two seasons. The eight losses over two seasons are the most the Tide have registered since The end of the disastrous Mike Shula tenure in 2006 and Nick Saban's lean first season in 2007. Between the retirement of Bear Bryant in 1982 and Nick Saban's hiring a quarter-century later, Alabama had more downs than ups.

The Tide cycled through Ray Perkins, Bill Curry, Gene Stallings, Mike DuBose, Dennis Franchione, Mike Price (who lost the job before coaching a game), and then Mike Shula. That run included more losing seasons (five) than conference titles (three) or national titles (one).

But Saban restored Alabama to glory with six national championships and top ten seasons in every year after his initial 2007 campaign through his 2023 retirement. He has also left a high standard for DeBoer to follow, although obviously, reasonable minds can differ about how exactly how warm DeBoer's seat is.

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