RIP to the content fairies.
Instead of spending the next four and a half months before the start of the 2026 season debating whether or not Kalen DeBoer is on the hot seat or not, the contract extension that was announced by the University of Alabama on Wednesday puts an end to any of that speculation.
DeBoer and Alabama finally reached an agreement on a 7-year extension worth $12.5 million annually. An extension had been rumored for months, ever since the rumors began swirling late in the season that Michigan was making a strong push to pull DeBoer out of Tuscaloosa and into Ann Arbor.
His extension is a major vote of confidence by Greg Byrne. It assures that DeBoer is not on the hot seat next season, or any season nearby, while also increasing the amount owed to Alabama if DeBoer left for another gig.
Kalen DeBoer's updated buyout terms will keep him at Alabama for a long time
Nothing changes in terms of what DeBoer would be owed if Alabama let him go: it's still 90% of the total value of the remaining contract. The contract value is worth $87.5 million over the next seven years, meaning if Alabama fired DeBoer without cause, it would owe him the following:
- 2026: $67.5 million
- 2027: $56.25 million
- 2028: $45 million
- 2029: $33.75 million
- 2030: $22.5 million
- 2031: $11.25 million
Of course, we've seen programs pay exorbitant buyouts to get rid of coaches, most notably the $77.5 million Texas A&M paid Jimbo Fisher to relieve him of his duties in November of 2023. But I don't have to remind Alabama fans: the pockets in Tuscaloosa aren't as deep as the oil-rich coffers of College Station.
Alabama won't be firing DeBoer after the 2026 season. It's not all that realistic after the 2027 season, either. It becomes slightly more tenable following 2028, and then a lot more after 2029.
This is a contract that Byrne is giving DeBoer with complete confidence that Nick Saban's successor is going to deliver a National Championship to the Crimson Tide. This is also the type of contract that, if DeBoer fails, will likely be the end of Byrne, too. He's tethered his ship to DeBoer's, for better or worse.
Buyouts work two ways, however. A main reason DeBoer was constantly mentioned with other jobs is that the buyout he would have owed Alabama was considerably less. That amount was just $5 million until the end of January 2027, dropping to $4 million after that. Chump change for any serious program.
Now, DeBoer's buyout has increased to $10 million if he wants to leave Alabama between now and January 31st of 2027. The buyout decreases $2 million a year after that through January of 2029, and then there's no buyout after that.
This likely ties Alabama and DeBoer together for at least the next three years. It's a commitment by both sides through the 2028 season. If things aren't going the way either wants by then, it would be a lot easier to cut ties.
For now, get comfortable, Tide fans. DeBoer is here to stay.
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