With Michigan’s head coaching job suddenly open, Kalen DeBoer’s name is once again gaining traction in the college football rumor mill-despite the fact he’s currently leading Alabama into the College Football Playoff.
The Wolverines parted ways with head coach Sherrone Moore on Wednesday after the university found “credible evidence” of an inappropriate relationship between Moore and a staff member. Moore was later arrested and arraigned Friday, facing three charges, including felony home invasion. It’s a stunning development that’s left one of the sport’s premier programs scrambling for answers at a critical time in the calendar.
Enter DeBoer, whose name has been floated in multiple coaching searches this cycle. He was briefly linked to Penn State before the Nittany Lions ultimately hired Matt Campbell away from Iowa State.
At the time, DeBoer was quick to shut down any speculation, saying, “We are extremely happy here. Love the challenge, love the grind, love this place.
There’s never been any link, there’s never been any conversation, there’s never been any interest either way.”
But Michigan might be a different story. On paper, it’s a fit that makes a lot of sense.
DeBoer, a South Dakota native, has deep coaching roots in the Midwest with previous stops at Southern Illinois, Eastern Michigan, and Indiana. That regional familiarity, combined with his proven success at the Power Five level, has made him one of the top names floated for the Wolverines’ vacancy.
Still, as DeBoer prepares for a high-stakes rematch with Oklahoma in the CFP, his focus appears to be firmly on the Crimson Tide. And his players are backing him.
Star wide receiver Ryan Williams addressed the noise on Friday, brushing off the speculation surrounding his head coach. “Yeah, of course we see it on TV, but he’s gave his best effort here,” Williams said.
“Focused on playing against Oklahoma, we’re not really worried about it. At the end of the day, he serves us 100% and that’s our coach, so we’re going to play for him.
External noise is external noise, so we just focus on the internal.”
Williams also said DeBoer hasn’t addressed the rumors directly with the team, but that’s by design. “He hasn’t really said much,” Williams added. “But that’s kind of like our motto: Just focus on what’s going on internal, because we’ve got to play for each other and all we’re worried about [is] the people internal.”
That mindset will be crucial heading into Alabama’s Dec. 19 playoff clash with Oklahoma-a team that edged the Tide 23-21 earlier this season. Alabama enters the rematch as a slight 1.5-point favorite, and the game will be played at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, adding another layer of challenge for DeBoer’s squad.
Meanwhile, Michigan can afford to be deliberate with its next move. The coaching change came after the early signing period in December, giving the Wolverines some breathing room to make a calculated hire. That timeline could allow them to wait until after Alabama’s playoff run concludes before making a decision-should DeBoer indeed be their top target.
As for Michigan’s immediate future, the team is preparing to face Texas in the Citrus Bowl on December 31, with Biff Poggi stepping in as interim head coach. It’s a temporary solution for a program that finds itself at a crossroads, searching for stability and leadership at a time when the stakes couldn’t be higher.
Alabama WR Ryan Williams on how the Crimson Tide has handled the Kalen DeBoer Michigan rumors. @tuscaloosanews @TideSports pic.twitter.com/6lDt6mI7OB
— Colin Gay (@_ColinGay) December 12, 2025
Whether DeBoer becomes part of that future remains to be seen. But for now, he’s locked in on the task at hand-guiding Alabama through the playoff gauntlet and tuning out the noise.