Pressure is a relative construct. Every head coach feels it at one point or another. However, the kind of pressure Kalen DeBoer may be facing this year pales in comparison to that of these half-dozen. CBS Sports' Brad Crawford rattled off six Power Four head coaches at major crossroads in their respective careers. Some are already on the way out, while others have different matters at hand.
Crawford touched on these six head coaches in particular. Three of them will be facing Alabama.
- USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley
- Florida State Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell
- LSU Tigers head coach Lane Kiffin
- Wisconsin Badgers head coach Luke Fickell
- Maryland Terrapins head coach Mike Locksley
- South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Shane Beamer
Alabama hosts Mike Norvell's Florida State Seminoles in a non-conference game on Sept. 19. Had it not been for the home upset of the Tide a year ago, Norvell might already be out of his job. Shane Beamer has had every bit of an up-and-down tenure at South Carolina. After the massive failure that was last year, South Carolina is praying that it can come out of Tuscaloosa with a win on Sept. 26.
There is also the Lane Kiffin of it all. Alabama will travel to Baton Rouge to take on the former Ole Miss head coach at his new digs on Nov. 7. Whoever wins this game in Tiger Stadium may be one step closer to punching its ticket into the College Football Playoff. Kiffin had a great thing going in Oxford, but opted to burn that Ole Miss bridge like there was tomorrow. Shockingly, the sun keeps coming up.
Let's look at each game on Alabama's schedule featuring a coach who is already feeling the pressure.
Alabama could drill another nail into Mike Norvell's coffin on Sept. 19
Norvell is sitting on arguably the hottest seat in all of college football. He will be three years removed from Florida State's last meaningful season. The Seminoles have failed to reach a bowl game the last two seasons after winning the ACC with a 13-0 record. Crawford mentioned the biggest reason why Norvell is still employed by FSU. They cannot afford to fire him yet. The financials do not make sense.
A home win for the Crimson Tide would do wonders for DeBoer and be so detrimental for Norvell. DeBoer would be able to shake his letdown game stigma, at least for the time being. Norvell could be one day closer to his termination. Something has to give in this game, and it needs to be Alabama coming away with a narrative-shifting, non-conference win. Otherwise, the tables could be turning.
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To put it bluntly, Norvell has really shown no interest in recruiting at a championship-caliber level out of high school at Florida State. Despite moving across the country, DeBoer continues to make great strides in that department at Alabama. While nothing is guaranteed on any given Saturday, it seems increasingly likely that DeBoer will right last year's wrong vs. Florida to soon put Norvell out of a job.
There are no excuses for DeBoer and the Crimson Tide to not win this game vs. Florida State this fall.
Alabama could place Shane Beamer under the microscope on Sept. 26
South Carolina is arguably the most frustrating team in the SEC. The talent is there all over the gridiron. At times, Beamer looks the part of a high-end head coach. In other instances, he comes across like a petulant child who only has this job because of who his father is. Beamer is more than a product of nepotism, but he cannot have another disastrous season like he did last year in Columbia.
While the Gamecocks have given the Crimson Tide a scare the last two years, DeBoer is 2-0 vs. South Carolina since taking over at Alabama. That should continue into 2026, but Beamer always seems to coach his best when his back is up against the wall. He can be the emotional leader South Carolina needs at times. Of course, he will also exacerbate things with his hot-headedness and cocky attitude.
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As long as DeBoer continues to hold South Carolina at an arm's distance, he will have his job next year, and Beamer will not. However, Beamer appears to have a good working relationship with his boss, Jeremiah Donati. The South Carolina athletic director may not have been the one to hire him, but another eight-loss season could be grounds to move on from Beamer, given his team's talent.
LaNorris Sellers, Dylan Stewart, and Nyck Harbor are incredile players, but their team is suspect.
Alabama could make Lane Kiffin regret leaving Ole Miss for LSU on Nov. 7
No, Kiffin is not getting fired after year one at LSU. In fact, he is infinitely more likely to turn heel and burn another bridge as he did with Tennessee after one season. However, he forged his own kind of pressure coming over from Ole Miss. Kiffin left a job where he actually led the Rebels to the playoffs, but bailed on them before their first-round game. Who does that? Kiffin. Not a soul is rooting for him.
Alabama and LSU may be rivals, but this game is all about painting DeBoer in a good light and further tarnishing Kiffin's bad reputation. A win over the Bayou Bengals would likely help Alabama be on the verge of making the playoffs. The Crimson Tide has the much easier schedule when compared to LSU. Of course, this game will be in Baton Rouge. It will almost certainly be at night. That helps LSU.
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Because the SEC decided to make Alabama's toughest road game even harder, what happens if the Crimson Tide just wins it anyway? That will likely prevent them from suffering a third loss in the SEC, while largely guaranteeing LSU will not be winning double-digit games in the regular season. This game is not for all the marbles, but some of them. It is imperative for DeBoer to set the tone vs. Kiffin.
DeBoer winning justifies his choice to come to Alabama, while Kiffin losing is buyer's remorse for LSU.
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