Paul Finebaum Blasts Major College Football Program For $87.5 Million Decision

A major contract extension is rarely just about wins and losses. It is about belief.

The Alabama Crimson Tide announced a seven-season contract extension for head coach Kalen DeBoer, worth $87.5 million, which increases his annual salary to $12.5 million, showing that belief.

This new agreement was approved by the University of Alabama System's Compensation Committee during a virtual meeting on Wednesday and extends DeBoer's contract by two years, now set to expire on January 31, 2033.

Additionally, the agreement includes a buyout clause of $10 million through January 31, 2027, which will decrease by $2 million at the end of each of the following two years.

Locking in a head coach long term after two seasons that were good, but not dominant, signals a commitment to stability in an era that rarely allows it.

On the surface, the results show progress. An improvement from nine wins to 11 and a return to the College Football Playoff would be celebrated at most programs. But this is not most programs. This is a place where championships, not appearances, define success.

That is why the extension feels polarizing.

Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer calls a play. | David Leong-Imagn Images

ESPN's Paul Finebaum took issue with this extension on his show, "The Paul Finebaum Show," bringing up the blowout loss to Indiana.

"Why the university took so long to announce it, I have no idea," Finebaum said. "The last time we saw Kalen DeBoer on the football field, he was suffering a 35-point loss in the Rose Bowl. The worst loss in Alabama history. I think the lesson is, let's all go out and do the worst possible job on the final day before we get a new contract."

The last image of the season was not competitive. It was a 38-3 loss on a national stage, the kind of performance that raises legitimate concerns about whether the program is truly close to reclaiming its place at the top of the sport.

And yet, leadership doubled down.

That decision runs counter to the current trend in college football, where impatience has become the norm. Coaches are fired quickly, often before their systems have time to take hold. Continuity has become more of a luxury than a strategy. There is a strong argument that this move is necessary.

Sustained success is rarely built through constant change. Recruiting relationships take time. Player development takes time. Establishing a culture that can withstand adversity takes time. Resetting that process every few years only delays progress. At the same time, skepticism is justified.

The expectation is not simply to compete. It is to dominate. When a program has been defined by nearly two decades of excellence, anything less feels like a step back, even if the broader context suggests otherwise.

That is the challenge of following greatness.

The standard that was set by Nick Saban is unrealistic for almost anyone to meet, yet it remains the expectation. That disconnect creates pressure not only on the coaching staff but also on decision-makers who must determine whether to stay the course or make another change.

In this case, they chose patience.

But patience in modern college football comes with conditions. The financial commitment attached to this extension raises the stakes. It signals confidence, but it also demands results that justify that confidence in the near future. There is no long runway.

The extension may quell uncertainty internally, but it amplifies expectations externally. Fans will not view this as a rebuilding phase. They will view it as a statement that the program is ready to compete for championships again.

Ultimately, this decision will not be judged by what has already happened. It will be judged by what happens next.

If the program takes the next step and returns to championship form, this extension will be seen as a calculated investment in stability. If not, it will be viewed as a costly gamble that ignored warning signs.

Either way, the message is clear. Belief has been established. Now it has to be proven.

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