After a disappointing debut campaign that saw Alabama finish with its worst single-season record in 17 years, Kalen DeBoer has built back a lot of positive momentum for the Crimson Tide. From the Transfer Portal to the recruiting trail to the practice field, DeBoer has seemingly righted the ship after a rocky first season.
Alabama is generally expected to be one of the five or 10 best teams in the country next season, and the majority of experts are predicting them to be a College Football Playoff team. The Crimson Tide will have bigger goals than that, however, as just getting to the playoff is a nice first step, but not the ultimate goal in Tuscaloosa.
As DeBoer looks to lead Alabama to a bounce-back season in 2025, he's already drawing the attention of a prestigious award.
On Monday, the Dodd Trophy released its preseason watchlist featuring 25 head coaches, one of which was, of course, Alabama's Kalen DeBoer.
College Football’s most coveted coaching award.
— The Dodd Trophy (@thedoddtrophy) July 7, 2025
The 2025 Dodd Trophy Preseason Watchlist is here 👏🏆
Read more >> https://t.co/DSxNy18gjr#DoddTrophy | presented by @pncbank pic.twitter.com/Yxx1uAkwdz
DeBoer is one of seven SEC coaches named to the preseason watchlist.
The Dodd Trophy is named after legendary Georgia Tech head coach Bobby Dodd, and honors coaches who not only lead their program to great success on the gridiron but also stresses the importance of "scholarship, leadership, and integrity", the three pillars of Dodd's coaching philosophy.
Kalen DeBoer could become the third Alabama coach to win the award
The Dodd Trophy has been handed out annually since 1976. To date, the award has been given to the head coach at Alabama only twice: Bill Curry in 1989 and Nick Saban in 2014.
Curry won the Dodd Trophy, led Alabama to an SEC Championship, and was promptly fired anyway after the '89 season due to a third consecutive loss to rival Auburn.
Saban won the Dodd Trophy for the only time in his career during a season in which he did not lead the Crimson Tide to the National Championship. Most fans would agree that the 2014 season was one of Saban's finest coaching jobs, however, leading Alabama to an SEC Championship and a berth in the inaugural College Football Playoff despite a converted RB playing QB in Blake Sims.
Saban was routinely looked over for national awards due to the expectations that Alabama would be great every year. Following a 9-4 season in 2024, DeBoer has the advantage of leading the Crimson Tide to the type of bounceback season Saban never had to do, which could lead to award recognition.