Cracks in the Crimson Tide: The Kalen DeBoer Era at Alabama

Illustration by Connor Phillips

Screech. Screech. Screech.

That was the sound of Nick Saban’s tires when he drove off into the Alabama sunset and headed to a much lesser and more fan facing profession, as a college GameDay analyst. His retirement from coaching college football symbolized the end of an era and in some ways, the finality of Alabama’s reign at the top of the college rankings.

The hiring of Kalen DeBoer ricocheted through the prism of college football like a frisbee floating in the southern sun. It had no real rhyme or reason and following a legend like Saban, unless your name was Urban Meyer, would prove to be a difficult feat.

DeBoer was coming off a national championship berth. He and Michael Pennix Jr. had led Washington to the top of the college football world. Albeit their almost nonexistent showing in the national championship game against the Michigan Wolverines; they still had found themselves there all the same. Before Washington, DeBoer had success in other coaching spots including three championship seasons when he coached at the University of Sioux Falls.

When the Alabama Crimson Tide fanbase and alumni watched their beloved winningest coach announce his retirement…they knew whoever would follow had enormous shoes to fill. They were used to being the cream of the crop and they were used to being the most dominant and imposing team in the SEC. Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs had been trying to slay that dragon for so long and had only been successful a few times even with a multitude of chances. And we know Kirby Smart belongs in his own space at the top of the SEC. The pressure was already palpable before Kalen DeBoer took the position and now, even more so.

The possibility that DeBoer was ever actually guaranteed a long runway seems far-fetched. The state of college football with the transfer portal, NIL deals and the general profit of the sport has caused the landscape to shift dramatically. With that, the expectations for coaches have presented even shorter windows than ever before. In the middle of that, is the SEC. A conference dominated by expectations and the epicenter of what college football has become. Hiring DeBoer was a risk. Hiring any coach is a risk but most people aren’t following a legend.       

It is not as if Alabama has fallen off the cliff in the SEC. Or that in the past two years, they have not still had their fair share of wins. It is the general perspective of what the team has transformed into. Their identity of having dominant offensive and defensive lines has deteriorated. Their inexcusable loss to Vanderbilt in the 2024 season contributed to their first season of having three losses since 2010. In the ReliaQuest Bowl against the Michigan Wolverines, they could not stop a Wolverine team that relied heavily on the run game and their own defensive line. In previous seasons under Saban, a team that was extremely underwhelmed, would have been dominated by the Crimson Tide but under DeBoer, the Crimson Tide seemed to lack one big quality. An identity. Pride. Perseverance. A less talented team in the Wolverines put all of that at the forefront and into the national spotlight. Then the 2025 season started with an inexcusable shellacking by the hands of the Florida State Seminoles. A loss that was prefaced by the Florida State quarterback saying Saban wasn’t coming to save them anytime soon. The loss thrust DeBoer into the national spotlight even more. Indeed, Saban wasn’t coming back anytime soon, and the reality has been even more painstakingly, apparent.

It has been a short time that DeBoer has been the coach at Alabama but the sand in the hourglass is running at a quickened pace. Throughout the years of dominance by Nick Saban, like most college football fans that were not Tide fans, I detested the sight of his success. That seems to happen when one team dominates almost so long that nobody remembers when they didn’t. The Patriots and Tom Brady come to mind. And more recently, the Kansas City Chiefs and their consistency. But as much as the sight of Alabama winning proved irksome, one thing was undeniable. Saban’s teams were coached well. Both sides of the ball worked seamlessly with the other. And Saban coached his players to have a sense of responsibility in football and in life. He encompassed leadership and he encompassed what it meant to be the face of a program. All his players went to the NFL. He only accepted excellence. The bar was set high. Not being a Tide fan, those observations could not be ignored and deserved the proper amount of admiration.

The current observation of the team does not provide that sentiment. At times, the team seems undisciplined and not prepared. Penalties consume most of their losses and the sheer dominance of their opponents in their losses is undeniable. Something is missing. Something has changed. There are cracks between the lines. Advocating on the dismissal of a coach is normally ill advised and premature. Transitions require time and patience. Fanbases and alumni can barely stomach the idea of that but truthfully, time is necessary. But too many embarrassing losses…increases the speed of any clock.

When Alabama hired Kalen DeBoer, the excitement was a medium pitch. Truthfully, the likelihood of a long tenure in Alabama seemed unlikely. The pressure of following Nick Saban leaves many words to be desired. The increased pressure of keeping Alabama at the top of the SEC could also not be greatly expressed. Giving DeBoer the opportunity was respectable. If he had earned the opportunity is always debatable but any time longer than three-four years seems far-fetched. Anything past this year seems like borrowed time. How long does Alabama want to be in the middle when they have spent so long at the top? Are they really a team that can compete for a national championship or are they a team that can only beat teams that don’t have the same competitive advantages?

When Nick Saban retired from coaching, a void was left. And even as he continues to contribute to college football with his thoughtful analysis and knowledgeable quips, the void still exists. He, himself, did not put Alabama at the top of the championship conversation. He put LSU.

If even Nick Saban can’t give a vote of confidence…then the proverbial clock is already ticking past its expiration date.