Kalen DeBoer Reaffirms Love For Alabama, But Coaching Carousel Keeps Pulling His Name Into Michigan Search

Kalen DeBoer has made it pretty obvious that he doesn't plan on leaving Alabama during this coaching cycle. But that doesn't mean the carousel can't come around in the future and pull him aboard. 

Since ending the 2024 season without a playoff berth, DeBoer has been the talk of Alabama, and not often for the right reasons. Heck, there was a portion of the fan base that was waiting to pass judgment depending on what would happen if Alabama were to have lost to Auburn in the Iron Bowl. 

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It probably didn't help that the Penn State job was open. Then, those thoughts diminished once he had his team in the SEC Championship game, even though they were beaten up in the process. 

But my goodness, his name will not go away when it comes to a coaching search. And let's be honest, it's hard not to take a good long look at the Michigan job, given that it's one of the best opportunities in college football. 

While you might be wondering why a coach would even consider the thought of leaving Tuscaloosa for Ann Arbor, it probably comes down to life in the South. 

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I get it, fans of Alabama were expecting the same type of results seen by Nick Saban. But, in a realistic world, folks would understand that this is not the same Alabama team that we saw before DeBoer arrived, and it won't be the same moving forward. 

That's in no way a knock on DeBoer, it's just a fact of life when you follow a coach like Nick Saban. Everything you do will be compared to one of the greatest to ever do it. But, DeBoer knew what he was signing up for when he accepted the job, so there wouldn't be much sympathy headed his way. 

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If anything, it's the job of his agent to have Deboer's name floating for other jobs. While he hasn't done enough yet at Alabama to earn it, both sides are currently working on an extension. On Sunday, as the Michigan rumors continued to rise, DeBoer released a statement affirming his love for Alabama, while mentioning he has no interest in pursuing another job. 

Well, he's not the one that would actually be pursuing a job outside Tuscaloosa. But, that's just a word salad. 

On Monday, when asked again about his commitment to being at Alabama next season, DeBoer double-downed.

"A lot of the same things I said before, you know, a couple weeks ago, when asked really the same question, just feel completely supported. My family loves living here," Deboer mentioned. "Just all the things that we continue to build on, love the progress. Haven’t talked with anyone, no plans of talking with anyone. So just, I think that’s a lot of what I said a couple weeks ago, and continues to be the same thing."

Sure, DeBoer would go on to say that "yes," he would be at Alabama next season. 

OK, great. He's reaffirmed his love for the football program and university. But, let's not act as if this is all coming out of thin air. As long as DeBoer wins games, he's safe. Though even he's not dumb enough to think they won't run him out of town next year if he loses another three, or four, games. 

It would be mighty awkward if DeBoer had a discussion with Michigan on Saturday, following Alabama's game against Oklahoma. But, if the Tide' go out to Norman and lay an egg, he might be urging his agent to pick up the phone to dial an Ann Arbor area code. 

I guess we'll see what this weekend brings, though DeBoer has made it clear he's not going anywhere. Right?