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Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer puts his foot down on false narratives around contract extension

Alabama offered Kalen DeBoer a lucrative $2 million raise plus another year of contract extension in April, and it completely blew up the national rumor mill in the backfield.

Rumors across college football linked DeBoer to Michigan, and his shiny new contract essentially poured gasoline over the entire narrative. Now, however, DeBoer is shutting down the entire storyline completely.

The Crimson Tide coach directly poured cold water on the Michigan interest talks on Tuesday, asserting that his $12.5 million salary bump was about continuity and long-term planning in Tuscaloosa, and had nothing to do with him holding the outside job offering as leverage to get a raise.

“I think people equate the noise [about] other [job] opportunities or whatever it might be with the extension or more years [to my contract],” DeBoer told WVUA-TV in an interview. ”

“I don’t think that’s the case.”

Kalen DeBoer Puts His Foot Down on Rumors

GettyAlabama head coach Kalen DeBoer puts his foot down on false narratives around contract extension

DeBoer explained how the raise and extension provide long-term security to the program, and how continuity becomes the foundation of that long-term vision.

“I think our success and what we’re doing and what we’re continuing to grow and how we’re continuing to grow — I use the word ‘build’ but there was a lot that was built here, but you continue to grow and you continue to evolve.”

The DeBoer-Michigan talks have been swirling since December 2025, and the Alabama head coach has spent the entire offseason shooting them down. Handing DeBoer an additional two years on his contract—locking him down through 2033—gives the Crimson Tide massive leverage and a shield of stability against future poaching attempts.

“I think [athletic director] Greg [Byrne]’s appreciation for that and kind of seeing the vision that we have and knowing that we want that continuity here and that’s a big part of continuing to grow a program, it starts with people. Having myself and the continuity of the rest of my staff helps with the continuity of our players, and that’s how you continue to get to where you want to be with the success not just on the field but off the field, as well.”

The Hidden Detail in DeBoer’s Contract

GettyAlabama head coach Kalen DeBoer puts his foot down on false narratives around contract extension

Coaches are generally well-versed in coach-speak; however, AD Greg Bryne made sure the contract extension did its job in keeping DeBoer around for the long term.

While everyone is weaving the narrative that DeBoer leveraged the offer to get a contract extension, Byrne included a massive change in DeBoer’s contract extension that most missed.

The biggest hidden detail in this new contract is the massive jump in DeBoer’s personal buyout. Under his original deal, if he wanted to walk away for another job this winter, he only owed Alabama $5 million. Under the new April terms, his buyout doubled to $10 million through January 2027.

In other words, AD Greg Byrne essentially built a $10 million financial wall around Tuscaloosa to protect the roster from being raided by rival schools during the winter coaching carousel. Plus, the $2 million annual bump makes DeBoer one of the only five college football head coaches to earn $12.5 million or more per season.