Paul Finebaum Answers if Alabama Will Fire Kalen DeBoer After 0-1 Start

"I don't have an answer for you at this hour," Finebaum said.

Paul Finebaum Says Kalen DeBoer's Seat Is Scorching Hot

After a challenging first season, Finebaum said he believed DeBoer had built some positive momentum. He felt that people had begun to believe in DeBoer following last season. But they don't anymore.

“He had built up tremendous goodwill in the offseason,” Finebaum previously said. “People believed in him after failing to believe in him at the end of last season. But there’s no escaping it. You started hearing words [Saturday] night, like hot seat, buyout, which by the way is $70 million. It was get to the playoffs or bust, and right now he lost a golden opportunity because right now he has about seven or eight tougher games than he had [Saturday]. His path is very narrow, and his hot seat is very scorching.”

Why Alabama Can’t Just Move On

Although Finebaum said DeBoer's position is "scorching" hot, he also acknowledged that he does not think the Crimson Tide can dismiss DeBoer.

“This isn’t a simple situation,” Finebaum previously said. “The reason I say that is DeBoer, like him or not, has a price tag on his head that makes him virtually impossible to fire. There’s a $70 million buyout. You can’t just make a rash decision.”

247Sports reports that the buyout for DeBoer is set at $70 million. He can receive additional compensation if he reaches the SEC Championship Game, wins the conference or qualifies for the College Football Playoff.

In DeBoer's first year, none of these conditions was met. If DeBoer is terminated without cause, he will receive 90% of the remaining contract value in monthly installments until the end of the contract term.

This buyout is the third largest in the country, following the buyouts of Lincoln Riley from the USC Trojans and Kirby Smart from the Georgia Bulldogs. While $70 million is a significant amount, it is not the highest buyout in college football history. The Texas A&M Aggies terminated Jimbo Fisher’s contract during the 2023 season, resulting in a buyout of $77.5 million.

What Comes Next for DeBoer?

For now, DeBoer’s $70 million buyout provides him some protection. Alabama isn’t likely to make a rash decision this early in the season, no matter how frustrated the fan base becomes. But the margin for error is shrinking fast.

If the Crimson Tide struggle again in SEC play, the calls for change will only grow louder. Finebaum may not have an answer yet on DeBoer’s future, but unless the second-year coach can stabilize Alabama quickly, that answer could come sooner than anyone expects.

Alabama hosts the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks at 7:45 p.m. ET Saturday.