During the 2025 college football season, there were numerous rumors that came out about the future between the Alabama Crimson Tide and head coach Kalen DeBoer.
DeBoer was mentioned as a potential candidate for a couple of different coaching openings. Both the Penn State and Michigan jobs were talked about for him.
While the rumors were out there, DeBoer stayed loyal to Alabama. He was very vocal about his desire to lead the Crimson Tide back to National Championship contention. Even following his loyalty, DeBoer’s name has remained one to watch in coaching rumors.
Heading into the 2026 college football season, Alabama will be facing pressure to take the next step. After making the College Football Playoff in 2025, the Crimson Tide will be expected to be a true championship contender in 2026.
Should DeBoer fall short of those goals, his future could be murky. To that end, a new projection has been made for this upcoming season that would see DeBoer leave Alabama.
Kalen DeBoer Predicted to Part Ways With Alabama
The Athletic’s Stewart Mandel was the one who made the prediction. He started things off by predicting that Lane Kiffin would leave the LSU Tigers to become the next head coach of the Crimson Tide.
Of course, that would mean that DeBoer’s tenure at Alabama would be over.
Mandel followed up his Kiffin prediction by projecting DeBoer to land with the Clemson Tigers to take over for Dabo Swinney.
“Lane Kiffin leaves LSU after nine games for Alabama, which fires Kalen DeBoer after eight games,” Mandel wrote. “DeBoer then goes to Clemson to take over for Dabo Swinney after he gets too distraught over tampering to continue.”
That would be quite a shakeup to the college football landscape. Kiffin moving on from LSU in his first season with the program would be a shock. Clemson parting ways with Swinney would also be a major change.
What Has Kalen DeBoer Accomplished as a College Head Coach?
DeBoer has had a very successful run as a college football head coach.
To begin his career, he was the head coach for Sioux Falls. He led that program to a 67-3 record and also won three NAIA Championships in just five years. That led him to landing the Fresno State job.
With Fresno State, DeBoer coached for two seasons and compiled a 12-6 record before heading off to Washington. He compiled a 25-3 record with the Huskies and also led the team to the National Championship in 2023 before losing to Michigan.
That stint led to him joining the Crimson Tide. In his first two seasons at Alabama, DeBoer has gone 20-8.
At the end of the day, DeBoer is an excellent football coach. Whether he stays with the Crimson Tide or ends up leaving in the near future, he has a bright career ahead of him still.
Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer Exit Rumored for 2026 Season