Paul Finebaum Explains Why Alabama Can’t Fire Kalen DeBoer Despite Fan Frustration

Kalen DeBoer's Buyout Number Would Nearly Set a Record

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

In his first year, none of these conditions were met. If DeBoer is terminated "without cause," he will receive 90% of the remaining contract value in monthly installments until the contract term ends.

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 substantial 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 $77.5 million buyout.

Kalen DeBoer's Comments Raise Eyebrows

After going 9-4 last year, there were some question marks on whether DeBoer was the right man to lead Alabama after Nick Saban. It was the worst season the Crimson Tide had had since Saban's first year in 2007. But Finebaum felt he did a great job quieting that noise this offseason.

“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."

After the loss and his comments following the game, people began to question why they had started to believe this offseason.

"Frustrating," DeBoer told CTSN of the 31-17 loss. "I know we have a good team. I don't know if we have a great team. Obviously, we lost (Saturday), so we got a lot to prove to really convince people of that, including ourselves."

That's not the statement fans would like to hear after a game like that. Their emotions are already all over the place following the loss, and they then don't want to hear the team might not be great after believing it would be this offseason.

Whether Alabama sticks with DeBoer long-term will ultimately depend on results, not contracts. If the Crimson Tide bounces back and competes for the SEC, Finebaum’s “virtually impossible to fire” comment will fade into the background. But if Alabama stumbles again in the coming weeks, the tension between fan frustration and that massive buyout could become one of the defining storylines of the 2025 season.