Shocking News: Stephen A. Explains Why Questions Still Remain Over Kalen DeBoer
BRISTOL, Conn. — ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith has never been one to hold his tongue, and his assessment of Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer is no exception. Despite a contract extension that runs through 2033 and a College Football Playoff appearance in 2025, Smith insists that the questions surrounding DeBoer are far from answered.
During a recent edition of “First Take,” Smith laid out exactly why he remains unconvinced — and he didn’t mince words.
“I’m Not Moved”
When Alabama announced a seven-year, $87.5 million extension for DeBoer in April 2026, most analysts viewed it as a resounding vote of confidence. Smith saw it differently.
“I’m not moved,” Smith said on First Take. “I am certainly not failing to acknowledge that he is a good coach and that he has succeeded in most places he has been, but I was spoiled by Nick Saban. And I know everybody cannot be Nick Saban, but you did not have to fall off and lose as many games in your two seasons at Alabama than he lost in his last four years at Alabama combined.”
That statistic cuts deep. Saban lost eight games in his final four seasons in Tuscaloosa. DeBoer lost eight games in his first two. Smith called it a “precipitous drop off” and pointed to fundamental issues that go beyond the scoreboard.
“They had a lot of issues in the last year — cats can’t catch, can’t run, can’t hold on to the football, can’t block, can’t defend,” Smith said. “To give him this lengthy, seven-year extension … I am sorry, I am not sold.”
The Saban Shadow
Smith’s core argument isn’t that DeBoer is a bad coach. It’s that the standard at Alabama is unlike anywhere else in college football, and DeBoer hasn’t yet shown he can meet it.
“What did Kalen DeBoer do to earn the right to be a coach that’s arguably the highest-paid coach in college football?” Smith asked on First Take. “Was he Harbaugh at Michigan? Was he Ryan Day at Ohio State? Is he Cignetti at Indiana? Those are the last three national champions, all from the Big Ten. He damn sure ain’t Kirby Smart, who’s a two-time national champion.”
Smith acknowledged the inherent difficulty of following a legend — but argued that difficulty doesn’t excuse the results.
“When we look at the national scope of college football, we look at Kalen DeBoer and the first thing that comes to our mind is, ‘He ain’t Nick Saban.’ I understand you can’t be him, but what you don’t want to do is fall off the map and be the antithesis of him. There’s something missing from Kalen DeBoer in Alabama that existed there for the previous 18 years.”
The Rose Bowl Debacle
The defining moment of DeBoer’s tenure — and the primary fuel for Smith’s skepticism — came in January 2026, when Alabama was demolished 38-3 by Indiana in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl.
Smith’s colleague Paul Finebaum called it “the most embarrassing loss in Alabama history” and noted that “his team waved the white flag.” Finebaum, who has been even more vocal than Smith about DeBoer’s fit, questioned whether the coach can ever truly connect with the Alabama fan base.
“He doesn’t talk the language,” Finebaum said. “I know that sounds crazy. Words don’t win national championships, but in today’s environment, where money is the most important source of success, you have to be able to motivate your fan base. And he cannot do that. And has not done that.”
Former Players Weigh In
Smith revealed during a recent broadcast that his skepticism isn’t unique to the media. He claimed that former Alabama players — including some who starred in the NFL — share his doubts.
“You talk to the cats that used to be at Alabama; I am not going to mention no names because they don’t want to be quoted like that,” Smith said. “You think I just make this stuff up? I am Stephen A. baby. I talked to these people, and I am telling you right now. There is a whole bunch of cats that have rolled out of Alabama that we have seen star on the NFL level that are still Alabama fans, and they ain’t sold on Alabama under Kalen DeBoer either.”
The Contract Doesn’t Silence the Questions
Alabama’s administration has made its position clear. Athletic director Greg Byrne offered a public vote of confidence in September 2026, saying, “I think Coach DeBoer continues to get even more comfortable in his role here at Alabama. I feel very good about that direction.”
The contract itself — a seven-year deal worth $12.5 million annually, with a $10 million buyout that drops to $8 million in 2028 — represents a significant financial commitment.
But Smith argues that financial security for the coach doesn’t translate to security from scrutiny. The pressure at Alabama isn’t about job security — it’s about meeting a standard that DeBoer has yet to reach.
What Would Silence the Doubters?
Smith hasn’t specified exactly what DeBoer needs to do to win him over, but the implication is clear: competing for national championships, not just making the playoff. Alabama’s standard, as Smith repeatedly emphasizes, was set by Saban — and it wasn’t merely winning. It was dominating.
DeBoer enters the 2026 season with a 20-8 record, including a playoff victory over Oklahoma. He has won big games. But the losses — particularly the blowout against Indiana and an early-season defeat to Florida State in 2025 — have created a narrative that Smith and others refuse to let go.
Until DeBoer delivers a season that ends with Alabama hoisting a trophy, the questions from Stephen A. Smith and others will continue to echo across every “First Take” segment.
And Smith, for one, isn’t apologizing for it.
“I’m not saying that he didn’t deserve any extension,” Smith said. “But this amount of faith? I’m sorry. I’m not sold.”
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