Alabama Crimson Tide HC Kalen DeBoer receives controversial ranking in top-25 college football head coaches poll
Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer is heading into a crucial year three in Tuscaloosa, and these rankings prove why he has the confidence to succeed.
The Alabama Crimson Tide under Kalen DeBoer tends to elicit a lot of different reactions. Some see a coach who had to follow the greatest there ever was, look at his body of work that includes a regular-season SEC Championship and College Football Playoff win, and they think he’s done a great job, especially when considering the health of the quarterback position going forward.
But others see an Alabama team that, when it loses, loses badly. They see a program that has gone 20-8 over the last two seasons, and that hasn’t come close to reaching the pinnacle of the sport the way the program has been known for. But the truth about Kalen DeBoer? Well, that lies somewhere in the middle.
Kalen DeBoer facts
- Brought Alabama to the Rose Bowl for the 2025-2026 season.
- Coached at Fresno State.
- Bought Washington to the National Championship during the 2023-2024 season.
Kalen DeBoer ranks 8th in CBS Sports’ top-25 coaches poll
“The way Alabama’s season ended leaves a sour taste in fans’ mouths. The Tide lost to Georgia in the SEC Championship by 21 points, and then followed up a first-round road playoff win over Oklahoma with a 35-point drubbing by Indiana in the Rose Bowl. Nobody at Alabama will be happy with four-loss seasons any time soon, but DeBoer has led two different programs to the playoffs in the last three seasons. That’s not an achievement that’s easily overlooked.”
2025 rank 9 (+1), High 5, Low 14 – Tom Fornelli, CBS Sports
If you’re wondering who was around DeBoer, he was sandwiched in between Lane Kiffin at nine and Mario Cristobal at seven. That’s pretty good company in my opinion, especially with the Dan Lanings, Curt Cignettis, and Kirby Smarts of the world atop the list.
Some may say that’s way too high, but we have to remember that DeBoer took Washington, that’s right, the University of Washington, to a national championship game just a few years ago, and in only his second year on the job, the Crimson Tide made it to the Rose Bowl, the same place Alabama’s season ended in Nick Saban’s final year at the capstone, albet in a four team playoff.
So, whether the ranking is too high or too low is for others to judge, and there will be plenty, but Kalen DeBoer is in good company, to say the least.