Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer earns nearly as much as Nick Saban would in 2024.
The former Washington coach will earn $10 million in his first season with the Crimson Tide. DeBoer was hired in January to replace Saban, who retired following Alabama’s Rose Bowl loss to Michigan.
Saban was expected to earn $11.5 million in 2024 if he stayed as Alabama’s coach. He retired on January 11, and Alabama hired DeBoer as his replacement within days.Alabama published DeBoer’s contract terms on Monday.
DeBoer was earning slightly more than $4 million at Washington as the Huskies went undefeated before losing to Michigan in the national title game. He was expected to sign a new contract with Washington if he continued with the Huskies. According to Washington’s athletic director, DeBoer would have earned more than $9 million every season if he had remained at the institution.
According to USA Today’s database, DeBoer’s $10 million pay at Alabama ranks him as the fifth-highest paid coach in the country for next season. He trails Clemson’s Dabo Swinney, Georgia’s Kirby Smart, Texas’ Steve Sarkisian (who recently signed a contract extension and received a salary increase following the Longhorns’ College Football Playoff berth) and Ohio State’s Ryan Day.
When DeBoer was hired at Alabama, he signed an eight-year contract worth more than $80 million, with his salary increasing year. Given the current state of collegiate coaching, DeBoer is unlikely to stay in this position for the duration of his contract. If the Tide maintain the success they experienced under Saban in the first few years of his employment, DeBoer will most certainly receive a contract extension.
Another remarkable feature of DeBoer’s deal is its low buyout number. DeBoer’s buyout is only $5 million for the first two seasons of his contract, before disappearing after the 2027 season. Many institutions include large buyout clauses in coaching contracts to make it difficult for another school or team to fire the coach. But, considering Alabama’s position at the top of college football, the Tide do not have to worry about that. There are few, if any, better jobs in college football than head coach at Alabama.
In contrast, the absence of a buyout will make it financially easier for the Crimson Tide to move on if things don’t work out. That is undoubtedly feasible, but consider how successful DeBoer’s teams have been during his tenure as head coach. DeBoer’s teams have gone 104-12 in his nine seasons at Sioux Falls, Fresno State, and Washington.