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Kalen DeBoer hot seat? ESPN analyst weighs in on Alabama coach entering 2025
By Adam Spencer
Published:
Kalen DeBoer and the Alabama Crimson Tide struggled a bit more than we’re used to in Year 1 under the former Washington head coach.
The Tide suffered 4 losses in 2024 — the most since Nick Saban took over the program in 2007. There were some high points, sure, but this team failed to live up to the lofty standards set by Saban over the past couple of decades.
That has many fans and analysts wondering if Kalen DeBoer is already on the hot seat in Tuscaloosa entering the 2025 campaign.
ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg took a way-too-early look at the 2025 hot seat picture across college football. He put DeBoer in the “We want this to work” section:
The prospect of following Nick Saban at Alabama was never going to be easy, even for a coach as gifted as DeBoer. It seemed to be a good move that Alabama looked outside the Saban sphere for his replacement, and DeBoer came to Tuscaloosa days after coaching Washington in the national title game. But DeBoer’s first season seemed to confirm fears about whether he could succeed in a different region, especially while replacing a legend.
Alabama was wildly inconsistent, never winning more than three straight after a 4-0 start was punctuated by a victory against Georgia.
After missing the CFP and losing to undermanned Michigan in the ReliaQuest Bowl, DeBoer will need to deliver more in Year 2, even with an athletic director (Greg Byrne) firmly in his corner. He ultimately might be a better fit elsewhere, such as USC, but certainly wants to show he can win in the SEC first.
Alabama starts the 2025 season on Saturday, Aug. 30, at Florida State. The Tide also host Wisconsin during nonconference play before getting their SEC season underway. It’ll be important for DeBoer to get off to a hot start in those games to keep the heat off of him.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 14 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
