Paul Finebaum has a lot of apprehensions about Kalen DeBoer and his techniques to sustain Nick Saban’s legacy with the Alabama Crimson Tide. After 17 years with the program, Saban stepped down and passed the baton to former Washington Huskies head coach DeBoer in 2024.
Expectations were sky-high, but DeBoer failed to deliver, and Finebaum isn’t buying any expert predictions of Alabama winning a national championship in the 2025 season.
Paul Finebaum Critical About Kalen DeBoer and Alabama’s Future
The Crimson Tide were a dynasty team until last season. But things have changed significantly since DeBoer took charge of the program. They wrapped up the season with a 9-4 record and missed out on making the College Football Playoff.
It was for the first time since 2007 that Alabama couldn’t reach 10 wins in a single season. DeBoer and Co. had to settle with a postseason ReliaQuest Bowl against the Michigan Wolverines. They went on to lose 19-13 on New Year’s Eve. All these setbacks are attributed to Finebaum losing hope in the SEC giant.
“I don’t see a national championship for Alabama,” Finebaum said on his eponymous show. “I think that their goal really is the same as it was this year. Get to the playoff. What doesn’t matter anymore is what he’s done in the past. What matters is what he’s done at Alabama, and I’m not impressed.”
In the past five years at the Division I level, DeBoer boasts a 46-13 record, which is quite impressive. During his tenure at Washington, he led the program to a 25-3 record and transformed it into a successful program with top talents making their way into the NFL Draft. However, things aren’t looking easy for him at Alabama.
The mountain of expectations has impacted the results significantly, and the perspective of fans to compare him with Saban has added to the disappointment.
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“To me, it’s a success if we move forward and take advantage of the lessons even though we don’t want to learn those lessons sometimes because they’re hard,” Deboer said about his first season while talking to reporters after the ReliaQuest Bowl loss. “We’re going to learn from those lessons, move forward, and be better because of it.”
Alabama currently ranks No. 2 in the recruiting class nationwide, and almost 24 players have hit the transfer portal. It will be a huge challenge for DeBoer to regroup and get back to the program’s winning ways.
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