Greg McElroy acknowledges pressure facing Kalen DeBoer, rejects job concerns
By Andrew Olson
Published:
Greg McElroy knows there is always pressure facing the Alabama head coach, but the former Crimson Tide quarterback says Kalen DeBoer has no reason to worry about losing his job this season.
McElroy appeared on Get Up Tuesday morning. When asked to give his thoughts on DeBoer’s situation entering Year 3 at Alabama, McElroy emphatically rejected any suggestions of the UA coach landing on the hot seat in 2026.
“Kalen DeBoer is in absolutely no jeopardy of losing his job, for example. Now, is there pressure to perform? Of course. It’s Alabama,” McElroy said.
McElroy continued, “And I think when you look at Kalen DeBoer, he was offered a blank check by Michigan at the end of last season. He decided to turn that down. Therefore, he got a contract extension at Alabama because of the leverage that he had in that situation. …
“Now it costs $67 million for him to leave. The group is rallying behind Kalen DeBoer. So anyone that suggests that there is not alignment in Tuscaloosa is just flat out wrong.”
“Kalen DeBoer is in absolutely no jeopardy of losing his job.” —Greg McElroy
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) September 1, 2026
“We talk about this Alabama team as if they’ve completely fallen off and gone away.” —Joey Galloway
Offering up expectations for the Alabama Crimson Tide 🏈 pic.twitter.com/FZL7727g2p
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After going 25-3 in 2 seasons at Washington, DeBoer is 20-8 through 2 seasons at Alabama. Four-loss seasons are not the norm in Tuscaloosa, but DeBoer does have an SEC Championship Game appearance and College Football Playoff victory on his Bama resume. Joey Galloway expects a strong Year 3 for DeBoer.
“Greg, I am really, really happy to hear you say that because 12 teams got into the playoffs, which means there was 120 teams out there that wish they got into the playoffs,” Galloway said. “And we talk about this Alabama team as if they’ve just completely fallen off and gone away.
“It started off with a bad loss of Florida State, but then you go in the middle of their season and they win four straight games against ranked opponents, including Georgia. But then they get into playoffs and go on the road and beat Oklahoma at Oklahoma.”
After the road Playoff win over the Sooners, Alabama fell in the Rose Bowl to eventual national champion Indiana by a score of 38-3. Galloway, though, feels the reaction was overblown.
“And then we come into this next season,” Galloway continued. “It’s like, ‘Oh my gosh, DeBoer is terrible. He got, he got to be fired.’ This is going to be a very talented Alabama football team.
“The SEC is tough. And every single year we look at it and the teams that survive in the SEC and make it to playoffs, you got to understand that is, that is a team that has gone through a lot and really accomplished a lot just getting there, getting through that schedule. Alabama is a very talented football team I expect to be really good this season.”
Alabama opens the 2026 season against East Carolina on Saturday.
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaign of Fred Taylor.
