Alabama HC Kalen DeBoer breaks silence with bold stance on rumors linking him to 2-time national champion program

Hours away from the SEC Championship Game, Kalen DeBoer has no time to think about anything but the Alabama Crimson Tide. However, the second-year head coach in Tuscaloosa made sure to set the record straight as rumors link him to a program with two national titles in college football.

Alabama and DeBoer always knew what they wanted to play for coming into the 2025 NCAA season. After a challenging journey, they are now staring right at it. On Saturday, the Crimson Tide will go head to head against the Georgia Bulldogs with the SEC Championship on the line. A win would punch Alabama’s ticket to the College Football Playoffs, while securing a first-round bye as a top-4 seed.

However, DeBoer believed he owed it to the fans in Tuscaloosa to hear directly from him, as rumors continue to whirl around his future. A loud buzz suggests the 51-year-old head coach could sign with the Penn State Nittany Lions ahead of the 2026 NCAA campaign. Now, DeBoer put those reports to sleep with a straightforward comment.

“We’re extremely happy at Alabama. We’re extremely happy here. I love the challenge, I love the grind, I love this place. There’s never been any link. There’s never been any conversation. There’s never been any interest in either way,” DeBoer stated, via Sidelines Sports Network Alabama.

Kalen Deboer at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina.

Wasn’t always pretty for DeBoer in Alabama

Ever since DeBoer arrived in Alabama, he has been tasked with filling the shoes of Nick Saban. Needless to say, picking up right after one of the all-time greats in the history of college football is no easy thing to do.

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DeBoer’s first season was far from ideal, as the Tide fell short of 10 wins in a year for the first time since 2007—Saban’s first season in Tuscaloosa. DeBoer has now led Bama to a 10-win regular season, but this upcoming game will put the coach on the spot again.

DeBoer must keep Alabama’s streak alive

When Alabama takes on Georgia at the SEC Championship Game, the weight of history will be on the Crimson Tide’s side. However, that will also mean DeBoer will be facing Saban’s legacy’s weight, as well.

The Tide and Dawgs have met four times in the conference title game before, with the ‘Script A’ holding a perfect 4-0 record. DeBoer must now keep the unbeaten mark against Georgia in the SEC Championship, or fans in Tuscaloosa may turn on him again.

It would be awful timing, too. A loss in the title game could leave Bama out of the playoffs, and even if it manages to make the 12-team cut, spirits may be at such lows the team can never recover from.