There are several SEC coaches who are on the hot seat this coming season but according to ESPN’s Paul Finebaum, Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer isn’t one of them.
Finebaum dismissed any rumors about DeBoer being fired after this season if Alabama doesn’t make the College Football Playoff again.
“All I know right now is Kalen DeBoer has a lot of support in Alabama,” Finebaum said on his talk show. “I think that’s important. It’s one thing if you start the season on shaky ground. He does not. His recruiting has been outstanding. Everyone seems to be aligned with him.”
In his first season as Alabama head coach, DeBoer led his team to a 9-4 record and missed the CFP.
Expectations are that DeBoer and his squad will make the playoffs this year.
Finebaum even thinks the Crimson Tide may be underrated and overlooked this season.
“Think about this for a second. Alabama is ranked lower in this poll than in any [preseason] poll since 2008. Ultimately, this looks bad to me. It looks like Alabama is underrated. I think they’re better than this,” explained Finebaum to fellow ESPN analyst Heather Dinich last week.
Finebaum may be right. From all indications of fall practice, the Crimson Tide has looked good on both sides of the ball, but especially at quarterback, where there was a lot of concern. But it appears that by the end of the week, DeBoer will probably name Ty Simpson as his starter, which many expected.
Another reason for optimism for this team is that DeBoer's second year as head coach at a school normally pays dividends. He was 14-1 in his second year at Washington, leading them to a Pac-12 Championship and leading them to the national championship game against Michigan.
So, there is a reason for Alabama fans to be excited this upcoming season.