Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer has dominated headlines in recent weeks after being intensely linked with various college football jobs. He publicly denied interest in the vacant Penn State job that ultimately went to Matt Campbell, but he found himself back in the spotlight after the Michigan Wolverines fired coach Sherrone Moore on Dec. 10.
The speculation became so persistent that DeBoer released a statement on Dec. 14 reaffirming his commitment to the Crimson Tide.
How Serious Is Michigan’s Interest in Kalen DeBoer?
Speculation about DeBoer’s future in Tuscaloosa continued unchecked this week. During Wednesday’s segment of the “McElroy & Cubelic in The Morning” show, ESPN analyst Greg McElroy revealed that the Wolverines were still pursuing the Bama coach.
“If your job is dependent on landing the premier coaching candidate, I’d go all in on the best candidate,” McElroy said. “If I can’t get Kirby Smart, I can’t get Ryan Day, I can’t get Marcus Freeman. Who are the other guys you’d rather have? Kalen DeBoer is right there and he’s only been at his place a couple of years.”
“He feels like he’s the most movable in many people’s eyes,” McElroy added. “I think he’ll be around, he’s gonna embrace the grind, I think he’s gonna win a championship in Alabama. There’s a reason why Penn State wanted him as their number one candidate. There’s a reason why Michigan has given him a blank check.”
The rumors about DeBoer have come at an inopportune moment for the No. 9 Crimson Tide, who will travel to Norman on Friday to face the No. 8 Oklahoma Sooners in the first round of the College Football Playoff.
Why Does Alabama Value DeBoer Despite Michigan’s Pursuit?
During Wednesday’s segment of the “Bear Bets” podcast, Fox Sports analyst Bruce Feldman was adamant that the Wolverines were seriously interested in hiring DeBoer, who has cut a niche for himself in college football as an offensive guru.
“What I’ve heard is that [DeBoer] does like it at Alabama and I know the AD (athletic director Greg Byrne) really likes him and the leadership likes him and thinks he’s the guy they want to lead the program,” Feldman said. “But if they lose, man, I wonder if that changes the calculus for a lot of people, including DeBoer.”
“There’s serious interest, from what I’ve been told, at Michigan for DeBoer,” Feldman continued. “He’s really a good offensive coach and they at Michigan have been dreadful on offense. They were horrible last year and weren’t that much better this year.”
Despite the persistent links to Michigan, DeBoer led the Crimson Tide to the SEC championship game and clinched a spot in the playoff. Should the Crimson Tide beat the Sooners on Friday, they will face the Indiana Hoosiers in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1, a day before the transfer portal opens, complicating the timeline for any potential move by the Wolverines.
