Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer appears to be safe from being fired into the sun and out of Tuscaloosa, even if the team loses to the Oklahoma Sooners on Friday night in Norman during the College Football Playoff.
CBS Sports' Tom Fornelli claimed that "If Alabama loses to the Sooners, [Kalen DeBoer] is going into 2026 on the hot seat."
That point feels like it'd be challenged if OU blows the doors off the Crimson Tide. But that's the good word.
While Auburn fans would love to see Alabama go through a two-year disaster to the relative level of Bryan Harsin and Hugh Freeze, there might be value in seeing the Tide suffer under "Husky Harsin" for at least another year.
Alabama AD Greg Byrne admits Tide will lose more with Kalen DeBoer
Winning it all doesn't matter anymore at UAT. University of Alabama AD Greg Byrne admitted that the culture is acceptable, and losing games isn't the end of the world in Tuscaloosa anymore like it was under Nick Saban.
"...It's a good culture. It's one -- will we win every single game we want to win? Nope, we'll lose one or two that maybe shouldn't at some point. I'm not saying every year, but it's gonna happen. But we'll also win some games, and we'll win those games based on the hard work and resiliency that we're showing, and that's what you got to look at long term," Byrne said to The Athletic.
Auburn fans may want to watch this ill-fitting relationship continue. Maybe Byrne will lose his job on the way out, too, and it'll be a bloodbath within the brain trust up north. Nate Oats was a transformational hire for the basketball program, but Byrne's job performance may be tied to footbaw.
The Crimson Tide doesn't have many good options left after College Football's head coaching musical chairs came and went in a mad dash. The Michigan Wolverines' job is still open, though, so the market is not completely closed.
And realistically, Alabama might be able to create a few options out of thin air. Lane Kiffin is never tied down to anywhere or anyone, so there's one seemingly evergreen candidate. The NFL season doesn't conclude until January for most teams.
Actually, no. Lifetime contract for DeBoer, please.