Alabama’s decision to hand Kalen DeBoer a new seven-year, $87.5 million extension has already stirred debate, and Paul Finebaum isn’t exactly cooling things down.
On “The Paul Finebaum Show,” the ESPN voice said Athletic Director Greg Byrne felt he had to act after DeBoer drew interest from programs such as Michigan. In Finebaum’s view, Byrne was choosing certainty over the risk of losing the coach altogether.
That said, Finebaum was clear that Alabama is not operating in some soft landing zone where patience is the theme. He brushed aside any idea that this is a transition year and pointed straight at the pressure that comes with the job.
"There are no such things at Alabama when you're in your third year," Finebaum said. "I'm eager to find out what the quarterback situation will look like...
I think Greg Byrne knew who he was hiring when he got Kalen DeBoer. Kalen DeBoer had a great reputation...
I see some really good results. I see some marginal results.
I see some that would cause a DEFCON 1 level."
The extension comes after a two-year run that has produced a 20-8 record in Tuscaloosa. DeBoer’s first season ended at 9-4, with Alabama missing the College Football Playoff and dropping three games to opponents with five or more losses. The follow-up year was better at 11-4, but it still came with familiar Alabama frustration: a 28-7 loss to Georgia in the SEC Championship Game and then a brutal 38-3 defeat to Indiana in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals after beating Oklahoma 34-24 in the opening round.
That’s why the move has drawn scrutiny. At Alabama, getting to the playoff is not the finish line. The bar was set long ago by Bear Bryant and Nick Saban, and it’s measured in championships, not consolation prizes.
Finebaum’s larger point is hard to ignore: it’s still too early to know whether Byrne made the right call. If Alabama takes another step forward this season, the extension will look smart. If the Crimson Tide settle into being good but not great, the fallout could land hard on both the coach and the athletic director.
For Alabama, the expectation never changes. Wins, titles and dominance are the standard, and DeBoer’s new deal only raises the heat.
In Other News...
Alabama's Loaded QB Room Just Got Hit With Another National Snub
Alabamas quarterback battle remains one of the biggest storylines of fall camp, with redshirt freshman Keelon Russell and redshirt junior Austin Mack still competing to take control of the job for 2026. Both are viewed as capable options, and the depth behind them is part of what keeps the situation so intriguing, with five-star true freshman Jett Thomalla also in the room as the Tide try to sort out who gives them the best long-term answer.
Still, the national conversation has not caught up to the talent assembled there. CBS Sports recently released its Top 10 college football quarterback room rankings and left Alabama out altogether, a nod to how much those lists tend to favor teams with a proven starter already in place. It is the kind of omission that may not bother Alabama internally, but it does add another layer to a room that already has plenty of attention on it, especially with Russell beginning to generate dark-horse Heisman buzz. [Read more 🡒]
Greg Byrne Is At The Center Of A Huge SEC Debate
Greg Byrne has spent the past few years turning Alabama into the rare athletic department that can point to success just about everywhere at once. Football has stayed in the championship conversation, the mens and womens basketball programs have remained major players, and baseball, softball and volleyball have all continued to move the needle under his watch. It is the kind of all-sports stability SEC schools talk about but do not always sustain.
Even after Alabama landed second in a recent Power Four athletic department ranking, the broader picture under Byrne still looks awfully strong. The challenge is bigger now, too, with Byrne having to steer the department through the post-Nick Saban era while keeping the standard high across the board. For a league that measures everything by championships and staying power, Alabamas place in the conversation says plenty about how Byrne has handled the job. [Read more 🡒]
Former Alabama Star Collin Sexton Is Finally Getting The Chance He Wanted
Collin Sextons path through the NBA has taken him from Cleveland to Utah, then on to Charlotte and Chicago, a tour that has often left him in search of a clearer fit and a bigger stage. Now the former Alabama star is getting one with a two-year deal that gives him a fresh start and, for the first time, a chance to settle into a team built to matter in the spring.
For Sexton, the appeal is easy to see. This is his first shot at joining a legitimate contender, which also means his first realistic opportunity to experience the playoffs and the pressure that comes with them. After years of bouncing around the league, the next chapter offers something he has been chasing for a while: stability with a team expecting to win right away. [Read more 🡒]