Kalen DeBoer’s contract details were announced by the university on Monday afternoon.

DeBoer was hired as the successor to legendary head coach Nick Saban back in January. DeBoer signed an 8-year deal with the Crimson Tide that’s set to pay him $10 million for the 2024 season.

Here are some of the key highlights in DeBoer’s deal with Alabama:

Kalen DeBoer’s yearly salary

DeBoer will be paid $10 million in the first year of his deal, according to the announcement. DeBoer is set to receive a raise after each season in his current deal. His contract will continue to escalate until it hits $11.75 million in Year 8 of the deal.

The full contract is worth $87 million, which translates to an average of $10.875 million per season.

The $10 million salary is slightly lower than what Alabama would have been paying Saban for the 2024 season. In 2023, Saban made approximately $11.4 million according to USA Today’s head coaching salary database. However, this is a significant pay bump for DeBoer. The former Washington coach made $4.2 million in 2023 when he led the Huskies all the way to the national championship game.

Where Kalen DeBoer’s salary ranks in college football

Financials for the 2024 season may not be widely-known until later in the year, but DeBoer’s 8-figure salary will almost certainly make him one of the 10 highest-paid coaches in college football for this upcoming season.

According to USA Today’s head coaching salary database, only 5 coaches made more than $10 million last season. Those coaches were Saban, Dabo Swinney, Kirby Smart, Ryan Day and Mel Tucker. Saban and Tucker are no longer active and will thus fall off the list.

Florida State’s Mike Norvell has reportedly already agreed to a deal that will pay him $10.15 million in 2024. Brian Kelly and Lane Kiffin could also be in line to receive raises that would send them into 8-figure territory next season.

Kalen DeBoer’s buyout

If DeBoer were to leave Alabama for another job, his next employer would be on the hook for a fairly insignificant buyout (relative to some other coaches in the sport).

Here are the buyout figures for if DeBoer departed Alabama for another job:

As Nick Kelly of Tuscaloosa News notes, it’s a significant drop-off compared to what Alabama basketball coach Nate Oats would owe the university if he left for another job. Oats’ buyout to leave Alabama is set for $18 million through March of 2026.

Kalen Deboer’s contract incentives

DeBoer’s deal with Alabama also includes a variety of incentives for specific targets that Alabama will hope to reach during his tenure.

Those goals include everything from reaching the SEC Championship Game ($75,000) to winning the College Football Playoff national title ($875,000). Here’s a full list of incentives, per Bama Central’s Katie Windham:

Looking ahead to next season

Alabama’s expectations for the 2024 season are high in Year 1 under DeBoer. The program is bringing back quarterback Jalen Milroe as well as several other key players as they hope to contend for a College Football Playoff berth next season.

The college football futures market is already active this offseason. According to the latest lines from Bet365, Alabama is currently +1100 to win the national championship and +900 to win the SEC.

The Tide are behind Georgia (+220), Texas (+260), Ole Miss (+600) and LSU (+800) in those odds. Alabama’s regular season win total has been set at 9.5 for the 2024 season. Here’s everything fans need to know about how to sign up with one of the best sports betting apps on the market such as Bet365.

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Alabama fans will get their first look at the program under DeBoer’s leadership during the Tide’s annual spring game on April 13.