Alabama football coach Kalen DeBoer has drawn plenty of second-guessing since taking over the Crimson Tide, a natural reaction after replacing Nick Saban.
Critics have questioned whether DeBoer can meet the program’s usual standards after two seasons that each ended with four losses. Some voices around the Southeastern Conference have even suggested his job security could soon become an issue.
SEC commentator Paul Finebaum recently floated the idea that DeBoer might land on the hot seat if results do not improve quickly.
Former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy pushed back hard against that talk Tuesday on ESPN’s “Get Up.”
McElroy freely admitted that “Paul is the best at stirring up conversation. There’s no denying that.”
He still wanted to “correct the record here for a second.”
“Kalen DeBoer is in absolutely no jeopardy of losing his job,” McElroy said.
He conceded DeBoer faces “pressure to perform” because “of course, it’s Alabama.”
McElroy argued a strong 2026 season would ease much of that heat.He pointed out DeBoer had been offered a blank check by Michigan and chose to stay in Tuscaloosa instead.
“He decided to turn that down. Therefore, he got a contract extension at Alabama because of the leverage that he had in that situation,” McElroy said. “He got his pay raised, he got an extension of a couple extra years, now it costs $67 million for him to leave.”
Beyond the money, McElroy said the program itself looks aligned.
“The group is rallying behind Kalen DeBoer, so anyone that suggests there’s not alignment in Tuscaloosa is flat out wrong,” he said.
People who study the roster, he added, have noticed year-over-year improvement.
“There’s also the people who’ve evaluated the program, they’ve seen progress year over year, and they think that this year has a chance to be his best because it’s his team, finally after two years of some challenging roster situations. I’m excited to see how they fare on Saturday.”
Alabama opens the season this weekend. McElroy said the early results will settle the debate faster than any studio conversation. A fast start would likely quiet most of the remaining questions about DeBoer’s future in Tuscaloosa.
