Kalen DeBoer is fully embracing the pressure that many Alabama Crimson Tide fans have placed on his shoulders for 2026
Kalen DeBoer knows that despite an improvement in year two, the Alabama Crimson Tide has to get back to winning when it matters most, and he plans on doing just that.
The Alabama Crimson Tide has improved year over year under Kalen DeBoer. There is no arguing that when you go from not making the CFP in 2024 to winning a game on the road in the playoffs, you take a big jump.
The problem for the Crimson Tide and Kalen DeBoer is that what happened in the Rose Bowl has become far too prevalent in the Kalen DeBoer era. Too many games where the Crimson Tide just aren’t competitive. That has to change in 2026, and Kalen DeBoer knows it.
Kalen DeBoer Facts
- Was an assistant baseball coach at Sioux Falls before becoming the head football coach.
- Coached at Fresno State before going to Washington.
- Signed a 7-year contract extension this offseason.
Kalen DeBoer knows he needs a big year three at Alabama
“It is better to be at a place that really cares, and with people that really care and are passionate. Than to be at a place that does not care, and it’s just ho-hum,” DeBoer told former Alabama QB Greg McElroy on ESPN via YouTube. I guess along with that comes, you know, a microscope when it comes to things that we knew Alabama was going to have.”
“When my family moved here, when coaches were hired, and the players came in, we reminded them every time that this is what we signed up for. The high expectations, this is what we love. This is what our responsibility is to continue to maintain a high level of work on and off the field. That standard here exists because everyone that came here before us and how well they did it. So, I look forward to it.”
Why fans should be bullish about Alabama in Year 3 of the DeBoer Era and beyond
Here’s the thing about the Alabama Crimson Tide and DeBoer that doesn’t get talked about enough. He was hired because he is widely known as a quarterback guru. You look at what he did with players like Michael Penix, and it intrigued Alabama in the post-Nick Saban era.
Well, now, for the first time since taking the job, DeBoer is handpicking his quarterback. Whether it’s Austin Mack or Keelon Russell, both of them were recruited by Kalen DeBoer. That wasn’t the case with Jalen Milroe or Ty Simpson, and Alabama was still successful on offense.
But it’s not just those two. It’s Jett Thomalla, Elijah Haven, and Charles Scott. That’s the future of the position. Those are all high-profile recruits from whom DeBoer has received commitments.
As long as that position is taken care of, Alabama will be just fine.