Paul Finebaum Gives Blunt Assessment of a Major College Football Coach

Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer was one of the hottest coaches in the country following the 2023 season.

Kalen DeBoer Has a Good Track Record

DeBoer was fresh off leading the Washington Huskies to two straight double-digit-win seasons, culminating in a College Football Playoff appearance in 2023. The team would then advance to the national championship game before falling to the Michigan Wolverines. Up to that point, he had an incredible 37-9 record at the FBS level.

That's why he seemed like a home run hire to replace the legendary Nick Saban for the Crimson Tide after Saban surprisingly retired. While he has done some good in Tuscaloosa, he hasn't been able to capture that same success. He's gone 20-8 in his two seasons at Alabama, just one less loss than his previous four years.

He has led the Crimson Tide to the SEC Championship Game and the College Football Playoff. But they would lose 28-7 to the Georgia Bulldogs in the SEC Championship Game and the Indiana Hoosiers 38-3 in the quarterfinals of the playoff. So, that's put a lot of pressure on him to succeed in 2026.

Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer speaks to the press. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Paul Finebaum Questions Whether Kalen DeBoer Is Built for Alabama

SEC Network analyst Paul Finebaum has been critical of DeBoer's time in Tuscaloosa. He appeared on "The Film Guy Network," where he questioned whether DeBoer is built for the Alabama job.

"I wonder seriously if he has the DNA for the job," Finebaum said. "You don't need me to explain that Kalen DeBoer is a good football coach. His record is self-explanatory. But not much care that he played for championships in another division. I really don't care that he played for one at Washington. That's not Alabama."

It is fair for Finebaum to question that. Being the coach at Alabama is a privilege. It also comes with unprecedented expectations thanks to what Saban and Bear Bryant were able to accomplish. It's not good enough to make the conference title game or the College Football Playoff.

The Pressure is Mounting in Year 3

DeBoer has proven throughout his career that he can build winning football programs, but Alabama is unlike any other job in college football.

Success is measured by championships, not appearances. After two postseason blowout losses last season, DeBoer enters 2026 with mounting pressure to prove he can meet the standard established by Saban and keep the Crimson Tide among the sport's elite.

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