Kalen DeBoer buyout: How much Alabama would have to pay to fire its second-year head coach
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From 2008 through the 2020 season, Alabama did not lose a single game to an unranked opponent. Former head coach Nick Saban upheld a remarkably high standard in Tuscaloosa.
Florida State quarterback Tommy Castellanos said this offseason that Saban wasn’t coming to save Alabama. His comment seemed brazen at the time. Florida State was coming off a 2-10 season. Alabama opened Year 2 under Kalen DeBoer at No. 8 in the preseason poll. The Tide were a 2-touchdown favorite at BetMGM before the game.
But DeBoer is not Saban. Trailing 31-17 midway through the fourth quarter, DeBoer was staring at the prospect of his fourth loss to an unranked team in his first 14 games as the Alabama head coach.
Crimson Tide fans were furious at halftime. They didn’t cool off in the second half. And several were asking the same question: Will DeBoer make it through Year 2?
His buyout would certainly seem to make a move prohibitive.
What is Kalen DeBoer’s buyout at Alabama?
As of Dec. 1, 2024, DeBoer’s buyout at Alabama was $70 million. According to the USA Today salary database, his buyout is the second-largest of any FBS coach.
DeBoer will make up to $10.25 million for the 2025 season in total salary. The 8-year contract DeBoer signed in March 2024 guaranteed 90% of his salary, according to ESPN. He would owe Alabama a relatively small amount if he left the school for another job — $4 million this year, $3 million next year, nothing beyond 2026 — but Alabama would be on the hook for a significant amount of money if it made the decision to move on.
In his first year at Alabama, DeBoer went 9-4. The Crimson Tide suffered losses to Vanderbilt, Tennessee, and Oklahoma on the road. They also lost to Michigan in the ReliaQuest Bowl to end the season. Alabama went 7-0 at home but only won 2 games away from Tuscaloosa.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
