Kalen DeBoer’s insane record against AP Top 25 teams keeps improving at Alabama
By David Wasson
Published:
One of the reasons Alabama chose former Washington coach Kalen DeBoer to replace legendary coach Nick Saban when Saban retired in January 2024 was DeBoer’s strong performance against AP Top 25 teams.
That mark against ranked opponents only got better Saturday when DeBoer’s 10th-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide took on No. 16 Vanderbilt – as Alabama emerged with a 30-14 victory against the visiting Commodores at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
That moved DeBoer to 17-3 in games against ranked opponents, an insane .842 winning percentage that is the best among active coaches with at least 15 such games. The only losses:
- 2021 Fresno State fell 31-24 at No. 11 Oregon
- 2023 Washington fell 34-13 vs. No. 1 Michigan in the 2024 CFP national title game
- 2024 Alabama fell 24-17 at No. 11 Tennessee
DeBoer-coached teams have also been incredibly good against teams in the Top 10. In those games, he’s 7-1, which is also the best mark among active coaches (min. 5 games). The lone loss? The setback to Michigan in the CFP championship game in Houston.
DeBoer’s next test against a ranked team? Saturday at No. 19 Missouri (noon ET, ABC).
Kalen DeBoer is now 17-3 vs. AP Top 25 teams in his career.
— Connor O'Gara (@cjogara) October 4, 2025
An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. He also hosts Gulfshore Sports with David Wasson, weekdays from 3-5 pm across Southwest Florida and on FoxSportsFM.com. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
