Greg McElroy Pushes Back on Kalen DeBoer Hot-Seat Talk Ahead of Alabama-East Carolina

Greg McElroy is doing his part to put an end to speculation that Alabama is losing faith in head coach Kalen DeBoer.

The Alabama Crimson Tide will open the 2026 season in an unfamiliar position, sitting outside the Top 10. That ranking has fueled criticism of DeBoer, with some voices, including ESPN personality Paul Finebaum, suggesting that the third-year coach could be under serious pressure.

However, former Alabama standout and current ESPN analyst Greg McElroy recently appeared on Get Up and offered a very different assessment of DeBoer’s standing in Tuscaloosa.

McElroy Challenges Finebaum’s Narrative

McElroy acknowledged that Finebaum has played a major role in generating much of the recent discussion surrounding Alabama and its head coach.

“Don’t get me wrong, I love Paul [Finebaum] and Paul is the best at stirring up conversation, there’s no denying that,” McElroy said. “In an effort to push back on the very Finebaumian response that is Kalen DeBoer in defeat or disappointment is out, let me just correct the record for a second. Kalen DeBoer is in absolutely no jeopardy of losing his job.”

McElroy did concede that DeBoer faces plenty of pressure entering his third season. At Alabama, winning is always the expectation. Still, McElroy argued that the relationship between DeBoer and the university is far more secure than some outside observers have suggested.

“Is there pressure to perform?” McElroy asked. “Of course, it’s Alabama. Just like there is at Ohio State… or Oklahoma.”

He then pointed to an important factor in DeBoer’s position. According to McElroy, Michigan made a significant push to hire DeBoer following last season, reportedly offering him a “blank check.” DeBoer ultimately chose to remain at Alabama, giving him additional leverage that helped lead to a contract extension.

McElroy also emphasized that the Alabama locker room remains behind its head coach.

“The group is rallying behind Kalen DeBoer,” he said. “So anyone who suggests that there’s not alignment in Tuscaloosa is just flat-out wrong.”

DeBoer’s Buyout Provides Another Layer

Financially, removing DeBoer would also be an enormous undertaking for Alabama. McElroy referenced a buyout of roughly $67 million, a figure that would rank among the largest coaching buyouts in college football history.

Only Jimbo Fisher’s massive buyout from Texas A&M would reportedly surpass that amount.

Of course, money alone does not eliminate pressure at Alabama. The program remains one of the biggest jobs in college football, and expectations in Tuscaloosa remain extremely high. If DeBoer’s results continue to fall short, the conversation surrounding his future is unlikely to disappear.

Alabama Has Experienced Difficult Periods Before

Alabama’s recent history under DeBoer provides some context for the current concerns. The Crimson Tide finished 20-8 during his first two seasons, giving the program eight losses over that span.

That is the highest two-season loss total Alabama has experienced since the end of Mike Shula’s tenure in 2006 and Nick Saban’s first season in 2007.

Long before Saban transformed the program, Alabama endured a much more turbulent stretch. Following Bear Bryant’s retirement in 1982, the Crimson Tide cycled through Ray Perkins, Bill Curry, Gene Stallings, Mike DuBose, Dennis Franchione, Mike Price and Mike Shula.

That era featured five losing seasons, compared with three conference championships and just one national title.

Saban eventually changed everything. After his difficult first season in 2007, Alabama produced a remarkable run of top-10 finishes and won six national championships before Saban retired in 2024.

That unprecedented success has established a standard that would be difficult for any successor to match.

DeBoer undoubtedly has plenty to prove as he enters Year 3, but according to McElroy, claims that Alabama is already preparing to move on from its head coach are simply inaccurate. The pressure to win is real, but that does not necessarily mean DeBoer’s job is in immediate danger.