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Greg McElroy Makes Bold Prediction on Kalen DeBoer’s Alabama Future
0 Share Newsweek is a Trust Project member See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer has taken a lot of criticism over his couple of years in Tuscaloosa.
A lot of that is only natural, given that he's following perhaps the greatest college football coach of all time in Nick Saban, but DeBoer's attempt to live up to such high standards has some in the sports world wondering how much longer he'll head the program.
One of those wondering is famed SEC pundit Paul Finebaum, who recently claimed DeBoer could soon find himself on the hot seat .
Former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy, though, isn't having it.
Speaking on ESPN's "Get Up," McElroy freely admitted that "Paul is the best at stirring up conversation. There's no denying that."
That said, McElroy thought it was important to "correct the record here for a second."
"Kalen DeBoer is in absolutely no jeopardy of losing his job," he said.
McElroy freely acknowledged that DeBoer, who has lost four games in each of his first two seasons, is facing "pressure to perform" — "of course, it's Alabama," he said — but he explained that DeBoer is likely to alleviate some of that pressure with a strong 2026 season.
After all, DeBoer was " offered a blank check by Michigan " and turned it down to return to Alabama, McElroy explained.
"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."
On top of the financial reasons the Alabama faithful would want him to stay, McElroy said, DeBoer has the program pointed in the right direction.
"The group is rallying behind Kalen DeBoer, so anyone that suggests there's not alignment in Tuscaloosa is flat out wrong," he said. "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."
As McElroy said, the proof will be in the pudding once the season gets fully underway this weekend.
If McElroy is right and Alabama gets off to a strong start to the season, any heat there may have been on that seat will cool down quickly.
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