The Alabama Crimson Tide haven’t even cleared Week 1, and already, head coach Kalen DeBoer finds himself under fire. A viral moment has only turned up the heat. During a street-side interview, an Alabama fan was asked what she would do if she won the $1.8 billion Powerball jackpot.
Her answer was immediate: the first $70 million would go toward buying out DeBoer’s contract. The clip spread quickly online, turning a passing comment into the latest symbol of Tide Nation’s unrest.
“I’ll tell you exactly what I’d do with the first $70 million,” the fan said. “I’d pay off Kalen DeBoer and get him the heck out of the University of Alabama.”
The frustration didn’t come out of thin air. DeBoer inherited the unenviable task of replacing Nick Saban, the man who defined an era in college football. Then came a season-opening loss to Florida State.
The 31–17 defeat exposed issues on both sides of the ball and rattled a fan base already worried about slipping from the top tier. For many, the buyout figure itself has become part of the conversation. Reports place DeBoer’s exit cost near $70 million.
DeBoer still controls his own fate. The season is young, the roster is talented, and chances to rebound lie ahead. But as the season progresses, he’ll be running out of time. If he doesn’t turn things around during Saturday’s game against the Warhawks, it’ll only get worse for him from here.
It’s not just the viral fan or the Alabama faithful on the internet who don’t want DeBoer to be with Alabama anymore, sports analysts have had enough as well.
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Stephen A. Smith Wants Alabama to Fire Kalen DeBoer
When Kalen DeBoer joined Alabama last year, he knew he had some big shoes to fill. Alabama thrived under Nick Saban, so the expectations from the new coach were bound to be sky high. However, one couldn’t have predicted the outrage DeBoer would face after just one game.
Earlier this week, in an episode of First Take, Stephen A. Smith went off on DeBoer. He referred to a comment made by Thomas Castellanos to show that no one in college football fears DeBoer or Alabama. This wouldn’t have happened under Nick Saban.
“Who would’ve ever thought that somebody would have the audacity, the unmitigated goal to call out Nick Saban,” Smith said (11:09). “They would never. But they did it, why? Because Kalen DeBoer is coaching them…The days of Alabama with Nick Saban are gone.”
It’s highly unlikely that Saban would leave his enviable College Football GameDay job and rejoin the Crimson Tide. In this scenario, even if Alabama decides to part ways with DeBoer, finding Saban’s replacement isn’t going to be an easy task.
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