The Pressure of Following a Legend: Kalen DeBoer’s Alabama Journey
When Kalen DeBoer accepted the head coaching position at Alabama following Nick Saban’s retirement, he stepped into perhaps the most pressure-filled role in college football. Taking over for a coach who had become synonymous with championship success wasn’t just challenging—it was entering a world where anything less than perfection is viewed as failure. The shadow of Saban’s six national championships at Alabama looms large over the program, creating expectations that would overwhelm most coaches.
Despite managing to keep Alabama competitive—finishing second in the SEC this season and securing a spot in the expanded College Football Playoff as the No. 9 seed—there are clear signs that the transition hasn’t been seamless. DeBoer’s first season saw Alabama miss the playoff entirely and suffer a disappointing bowl loss, while his second campaign has already produced three losses. For a program that became accustomed to one-loss seasons or better under Saban, this regression has created whispers of concern throughout the passionate Alabama fanbase and college football community.
The upcoming playoff matchup against No. 8 Oklahoma in Norman represents a fascinating crossroads for DeBoer’s young tenure. A victory would propel the Crimson Tide forward in their quest for a national championship—an achievement that would immediately silence critics and establish DeBoer as a worthy successor to the Saban legacy. However, the stakes might be even higher if Alabama loses, particularly considering they already fell to Oklahoma earlier this season. As former Alabama star running back Damien Harris bluntly assessed, “In my opinion, I think his job is on the line with this game.” Harris’ perspective carries weight not only as a former player but as someone who experienced Alabama’s championship culture firsthand, winning two national titles during his time under Saban from 2015 to 2018.
Harris articulated what makes this rematch particularly significant: “We’ve seen how hard it is to beat a team twice in college football. And if we look at this Alabama team and we say you’ve showed no improvement from the first time you played Oklahoma to the second time—you weren’t able to make adjustments to flip the script of that game, and you can’t win that football game, luckily getting into the playoffs—that’s going to be a problem.” This cuts to the heart of what Alabama fans expect from their coach—not just winning, but tactical brilliance, player development, and the ability to learn from mistakes. If DeBoer cannot demonstrate these qualities in this critical rematch, it could undermine confidence in his leadership.
The situation reveals the unique challenge faced by coaches who follow legendary figures. While most programs would celebrate consecutive playoff appearances, Alabama’s standards exist in a different stratosphere. As Harris emphasized, “This isn’t the tradition, this isn’t the history that Alabama fans are used to. This isn’t the standard of excellence.” The Crimson Tide’s identity has become so intertwined with championship contention that even a competitive team that falls short of that goal feels insufficient. DeBoer isn’t merely building a program—he’s trying to maintain one that was already at the pinnacle of the sport, a task that requires not just sustaining success but doing so in a way that feels familiar to those accustomed to Saban’s approach.
While Harris’ suggestion that DeBoer could be fired after just two seasons might seem extreme to outsiders, it reflects the all-or-nothing mentality that has defined Alabama football for nearly two decades. The expanded playoff format has given DeBoer an opportunity that Saban didn’t always have—a chance to redeem a three-loss season with a championship run. How the Crimson Tide perform in their playoff journey, beginning with this challenging rematch against Oklahoma, will likely define not just this season but potentially the trajectory of DeBoer’s tenure in Tuscaloosa. For a program where championship trophies have become the measuring stick, the upcoming playoff game represents more than just a postseason contest—it’s a referendum on whether DeBoer can truly carry forward the legacy of college football’s most dominant modern dynasty.
