Greg McElroy didn’t love where ESPN slotted Kalen DeBoer in its latest ranking of college football’s top coaches.
The former Alabama quarterback, who helped lead the Crimson Tide to the 2009 national title, weighed in Friday on the McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning show and made it clear he thinks DeBoer deserves better than a tie for 10th with Miami’s Mario Cristobal. McElroy’s gripe wasn’t just about the number next to DeBoer’s name, either. He pointed out that DeBoer has a winning record against some of the coaches placed ahead of him on the list.
ESPN’s ranking, released Thursday morning, included five SEC coaches, with Georgia’s Kirby Smart coming in at No. 2. DeBoer’s spot still put him among the country’s elite, but it also came with the kind of scrutiny that follows any Alabama coach who isn’t living up to the standard set in Tuscaloosa.
That standard is one McElroy knows well. He was part of the Crimson Tide team that kicked off the Nick Saban dynasty, and now, as a veteran college football analyst, he’s been blunt about what he sees. In his view, DeBoer belongs higher than 10th.
The timing matters, too. DeBoer is heading into a crucial Year 3 at Alabama after guiding the Tide back to the College Football Playoff last season following a one-year absence. Critics have pointed to Alabama’s 20-8 combined record over DeBoer’s first two seasons as not quite matching the program’s usual expectations, but McElroy’s stance was that the coach’s overall résumé still stacks up better than ESPN gave him credit for.
Alabama will try to get back to the playoff again this fall, and DeBoer enters 2026 with the pressure and attention that come with the job in Tuscaloosa.
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