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Kalen DeBoer reacts to contract extension at Alabama: 'It gives the staff direction'

ns_headshot_2024-clearby: Nick Schultz04/29/26NickSchultz_7

Following his first College Football Playoff appearance as Alabama head coach, Kalen DeBoer received a contract extension last week. Speaking with reporters Tuesday in Huntsville, he pointed out what the deal means for the program’s direction.

The UA System Board of Trustees approved DeBoer’s new seven-year deal on April 22, which will increase his salary to $12.5 million annually and double his buyout if he were to leave the Crimson Tide in the next three years. That salary puts DeBoer among the top five highest-paid coaches in college football and extended his previous deal by two years. His original contract ran through 2033.

DeBoer said the new deal is a signal of where the program his heading, strengthened by a belief from the university. He also called 2026 another important year as he enters his third season at the helm.

“I think it gives the staff direction,” DeBoer said. “An understanding, also, just that everyone believes in what we’re doing. … The growth that we’ve had here in two years, a lot to build off of. Going into the playoffs, making the SEC Championship.

“This next year, another big year. They’re all big, in my mind. You never take anything for granted, so I really appreciate the opportunity the university has given me.”

If DeBoer were to leave Alabama on or before Jan. 31, 2027, his new contract includes a $10 million buyout. That figure then decreases by $2 million per year, dropping to $8 million through Jan. 31, 2028, and $6 million through Jan. 31, 2029. After that date, DeBoer would not have a buyout if he leaves.

That buyout figure is double DeBoer’s previous number of $5 million under the terms of his original contract when he took over for Nick Saban. The new deal has been in the works since his name came up in connection with job openings at Penn State and Michigan.

Through two years as Alabama head coach, Kalen DeBoer has a 20-8 overall record, including an 11-4 mark in 2025. The Crimson Tide made the College Football Playoff as the last team in the field and, after coming back to defeat Oklahoma in the first round, fell to Indiana in the Rose Bowl to end the year.

On3’s Wilson Alexander contributed.