Split Zone Duo's Alex Kirshner believes that the quick trigger many believe Alabama and Auburn football possess, as it pertains to firing coaches, is exaggerated. Kirshner was responding to a take from Saturday Down South's Matt Hayes that Crimson Tide fans would see 10 or 11 wins as an "absolute tragedy" in Kalen DeBoer's first season.
Kirshner also predicted that DeBoer would not see any heat if Alabama was an eight or nine-win team.
"I really don't think they're going to crucify DeBoer if he goes 9-3 or even has an 8-4 tanking in his first year," Kirshner prefaced before saying, "Especially because either number would have them in the Playoff picture until the end. With both Alabama schools, people exaggerate the quick trigger."
Alabama and Auburn football have overexaggerated quick trigger reputations, but Kalen DeBoer will get heat with under 10 wins
Kirshner is 100% correct on his first take that Alabama and AU don't have quick triggers when it comes to coaches. If that was true, Bryan Harsin wouldn't have lasted until midway through his second season given the ugly findings from his February 2022 inquiry conducted by Auburn's Board of Trustees.
On the other hand, though, he's wrong about the Crimson Tide fanbase being okay with eight or even nine wins.
Hayes was so close to figuring out the floor for what Alabama would accept, but he went too dramatic with it. There are definitely fanatical gumps who won't understand that new coaches almost never win right away at this level, though, and will chastise DeBoer for even nine wins and a College Football Playoff appearance in the new 5+7 format.
DeBoer is facing an unbelievable uphill battle in not only replacing Nick Saban, but having to placate a fanbase that may never have realistic expectations for their football team ever again.