‘He doesn’t talk the language.’ Why Kalen DeBoer still faces questions at Alabama

Kalen DeBoer quieted some outside skepticism about him last season by leading Alabama to its first College Football Playoff appearance in the post-Nick Saban era.

The Crimson Tide not only reached the CFP, but also secured a first-round road victory over SEC rival Oklahoma. That success was rewarded this offseason when Alabama handed DeBoer a new seven-year contract that keeps him in Tuscaloosa through 2033, making him the third-highest-paid coach in college football, according to USA TODAY’s salaries database.

So, as the 11th-ranked Crimson Tide enter the 2026 season, is DeBoer facing any hot seat chatter? ESPN’s Paul Finebaum believes it’s not out of the question.

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“He could find himself there depending on circumstances,” Finebaum told Blake Toppmeyer on this week’s USA TODAY Sports’ College Football Unfiltered podcast.

Across his two seasons in Tuscaloosa, DeBoer has led the Crimson Tide to a 20-8 overall record, which includes seven regular-season wins against top-25 opponents — highlighted by a stretch last season from last September to mid-October where Alabama defeated four straight top-20 opponents, including No. 5 Georgia in Athens.

In setting up a flashback to DeBoer’s comments at SEC media day where he didn’t feed into the “talking season agenda” of declaring a national championship this season, Finebaum mentioned DeBoer is a “very poor” fit at Alabama from a visual standpoint because “he doesn’t talk the language” of Alabama fans.

“He said, ‘Yeah I’m aware of that. We knew what we signed up for.’ Opposed to slamming his fist down and saying, ‘We’re gonna win a blanking national championship at Alabama because everyone else did,'” Finebaum said of DeBoer’s comments at SEC media day. “I know that sounds crazy. Words don’t win national championships, but in today’s environment, where money is the most important source of success, you have to be able to motivate your fan base.

“And he cannot do that. And has not done that.”

Alabama kicks off Year 3 under DeBoer on Saturday, Sept. 5 at noon ET against East Carolina at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa.

Be sure to check out USA TODAY Sports’ new College Football Unfiltered podcast, hosted by USA TODAY Sports columnist Blake Toppmeyer. You can stream on YouTube or download via Apple podcasts and Spotify.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: ‘He doesn’t talk the language.’ Why Kalen DeBoer still faces questions at Alabama