Alabama Next Coach Odds: Who Could Replace Kalen DeBoer if He’s Fired?
Is Kalen DeBoer trending toward having a more disappointing tenure at Alabama than Mike Price? Price never coached a game for the Crimson Tide (Google it), but just 14 games into DeBoer's tenure in Tuscaloosa, there are already Alabama next coach odds.
From sitting head coaches like Kenny Dillingham and Deion Sanders to former Nick Saban assistants like Lane Kiffin, Steve Sarkisian, and Kirby Smart to Saban himself - and everyone you could imagine in between, including Jon Gruden - the Alabama next coach odds are littered with brand-name bench bosses.
Could Alabama really move on from DeBoer before he even finishes his second season? Time will tell, but there are $63 million reasons why the Crimson Tide brass might have second thoughts about pushing the former Washington head coach out the door.
🐘 Alabama next coach odds
Alabama next coach odds based on the best college football odds as of Tuesday, Sept. 2; odds subject to change.
| Coach | Odds | Profit ($10 bet) | Implied probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tommy Rees | +300 | $30 | 25% |
| Glenn Schumann | +400 | $40 | 20% |
| Lane Kiffin | +500 | $50 | 16.67% |
| Kenny Dillingham | +700 | $70 | 12.5% |
| Deion Sanders | +800 | $80 | 11.11% |
| JaMarcus Shephard | +1000 | $100 | 9.09% |
| Shaun Dion Hamilton | +1000 | $100 | 9.09% |
| Jimbo Fisher | +1200 | $120 | 7.69% |
| DeMeco Ryans | +1400 | $140 | 6.67% |
| Jon Gruden | +1400 | $140 | 6.67% |
| Matt Campbell | +1800 | $180 | 5.26% |
| Jon Sumrall | +2200 | $220 | 4.35% |
| Curt Cignetti | +2500 | $250 | 3.85% |
| Mike Norvell | +2800 | $280 | 3.45% |
| Nick Saban | +3300 | $330 | 2.94% |
| Urban Meyer | +3300 | $330 | 2.94% |
| Dan Lanning | +4000 | $400 | 2.44% |
| Marcus Freeman | +4000 | $400 | 2.44% |
| Ryan Day | +4000 | $400 | 2.44% |
| Dabo Swinney | +5000 | $500 | 1.96% |
| Kirby Smart | +5000 | $500 | 1.96% |
| Steve Sarkisian | +5000 | $500 | 1.96% |
🐘 Who will be Alabama head coach? Odds & betting favorites
While DeBoer is still firmly the head coach at Alabama - and likely will be through the remainder of this season, if only for financial reasons - that hasn't stopped rampant speculation that the second-year boss could see an early end to his tenure in Tuscaloosa.
Here's a look at some of the betting favorites to replace him if he's fired:
🟤 Tommy Rees, Cleveland Browns offensive coordinator (+300)
Given all of the sitting head coaches with ties to Saban, and the high-level assistant coaches whom those head coaches brought with them when they left Alabama, it's shocking to see Tommy Reese atop the oddsboard.
Rees spent just one season, Saban's last, working at Alabama as offensive coordinator in 2023. But that one season was effective, with Alabama making the College Football Playoff and Jalen Milroe developing into a productive passer under Rees.
The former Notre Dame quarterback and offensive coordinator is now heading into his second season with the Cleveland Browns. He served as passing game specialist and tight ends coach last season before being promoted to offensive coordinator for this season.
While Rees has Alabama (and Saban) ties, and would likely be the cheapest option of any coach on the oddsboard, the 33-year-old seems like a bad bet at a price that pays just a $30 profit on a $10 winning wager.
🐶 Glenn Schumann, Georgia defensive coordinator (+400)
Glenn Schumann makes a whole lot more sense as a favorite on paper than Rees. While the 35-year-old didn't play college football at Alabama, he worked as a student assistant under Saban there from 2008 to 2011 before being hired as a graduate assistant by the legendary Crimson Tide head coach.
After seven seasons working under Saban at Alabama, he followed Saban's defensive coordinator, Kirby Smart, to Georgia for a full-time gig as inside linebackers coach. Since then, he's risen from position coach to co-defensive coordinator to defensive coordinator for the Bulldogs while helping to churn out top-tier defenses.
Between his ties to Saban, Alabama, and Smart - plus it doesn't hurt he coaches the same side of the ball that Saban did - Schumann makes a lot of sense and is clearly on the trajectory to be roaming the sidelines as an SEC head coach.
The one knock against him is his lack of head coaching experience at any level, but that same knock applied to Dan Lanning, whom Schumann worked under at Georgia. Clearly, Lanning's acclimated just fine running the show at Oregon after going to the Saban-Smart school of coaching.
If I'm betting on any coach with shorter than +2000 odds to be the next Alabama coach, it's Schumann.
🌳 Other Alabama head coach candidates with program ties
- Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss (+500): Kiffin helped transform Saban's offenses as offensive coordinator from 2014-2016, and since leaving, he's gone 71-31 as head coach at FAU and Ole Miss. Yet his demeanour could rub some in Tuscaloosa the wrong way.
- DeMeco Ryans, Houston Texans (+1400): Although he never played for Saban at Alabama, Ryans was one of the best defensive players the Crimson Tide have had this century, but it's doubtful he would leave an NFL head coaching job with a star QB in CJ Stroud.
- Curt Cignetti, Indiana (+2500): Saban's former wide receiver coach is among the most experienced head coaches on the oddsboard - he has a 131-37 record across four stops - but his lack of SEC ties may call his candidacy into question following a fellow non-SEC lifer in DeBoer.
- Dan Lanning, Oregon (+4000): When Saban retired, it was rumored that Alabama would bring Lanning back to Tuscaloosa. That Phil Knight Nike money sure makes it hard to leave Eugene ... Lanning has it too good to bail on the Ducks.
- Dabo Swinney, Clemson (+5000): It had been talked about for years that when Saban finally left or retired from Alabama, Swinney would take the job ... but the former Alabama wide receiver and assistant coach (not under Saban) has turned Clemson into an ACC dynasty.
- Kirby Smart, Georgia (+5000): Yes, Smart cut his teeth under Saban at LSU, the Miami Dolphins, and Alabama. But Georgia is home for the former Bulldogs safety, and he's turned the program into the standard in the SEC, looking like the second coming of Saban.
- Steve Sarkisian, Texas (+5000): No coach has benefited more from the Saban school of coaching than Sarkisian, who bounced back from his ugly ending at USC and inconsistent work as the Atlanta Falcons' offensive coordinator to become the Longhorns' head coach. But Texas is the rare job on par with Alabama, so there's not much reason to leave.
🔥 Why Kalen DeBoer is on the hot seat
Although just beginning his second season at the helm, DeBoer is on the hot seat following an upset loss to Florida State in Week 1. Alabama was a 13.5-point favorite against unranked Florida State and managed to lose by double digits.
That loss was DeBoer's third in his last four games and fifth as Alabama's head coach since taking over for the retired Saban. While he has a proven track record as a bench boss - 67-3 at Sioux Falls (NAIA), 12-6 at Fresno State, 25-3 at Washington - his first season at Alabama was shaky. And it doesn't help that he had no previous connection to Alabama, the Saban coaching tree, or the Southeast.
Although going 9-4 is acceptable at most programs, Saban never lost more than three games as Alabama's head coach between 2008 and his retirement in 2023. However, despite the disappointing start to DeBoer's tenure in Tuscaloosa, his buyout may play a role in his remaining in charge.
⏳ Will Alabama really fire DeBoer?
If DeBoer is fired without cause, Alabama would need to pay his $63 million buyout (90% of the remaining amount on his contract). And waiting won't save much money, either, with that number dropping just slightly (down to $60 million) if he's fired on Dec. 1.
Texas A&M paid a record-breaking $77.5 million buyout to get rid of Jimbo Fisher, a former Saban assistant, but that was a unique situation. DeBoer would likely need a catastrophic second season to get fired.
The Crimson Tide have five ranked teams left on their schedule (Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina, LSU, Oklahoma) and three tough outs (at Missouri, Vanderbilt, and at Auburn), so it's possible this team stumbles to a 7-5 record. If that happens, it's hard to imagine there wouldn't be an uprising, especially with what's being said by Paul Finebaum and his callers.
With that said, Alabama has one of the most talented teams in the country - it's tied with Ohio State for the highest blue-chip ratio (89%) - and it's more likely that this team wins just enough games for Alabama to give him another year rather than pay that buyout.
📜 Alabama coaching history (last 10 head coaches)
| Years | Head coach | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-present | Kalen DeBoer | 9-5 (.643%) |
| 2007-2023 | Nick saban | 206-29 (.877%) |
| 2003-2006 | Mike Shula | 10-23 (.303%) |
| 2001-2002 | Dennis Franchione | 17-8 (.680%) |
| 1990-1996 | Gene Stallings | 62-25 (.713%) |
| 1987-1989 | Bill Curry | 26-10 (.722%) |
| 1983-1986 | Ray Perkins | 32-15 (.677%) |
| 1958-1982 | Bear Bryant | 205-42 (.818%) |
| 1955-1957 | Jennings B. Whitworth | 4-24 (.167%) |
| 1947-1954 | Harold Drew | 54-28 (.646%) |
❓ Alabama coach FAQs
What's Kalen DeBoer's buyout at Alabama?
Kalen DeBoer has one of college football's largest buyouts at $63 million.
What's Kalen DeBoer's record at Alabama?
Kalen DeBeor is 9-5 as head coach at Alabama with losses to Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Michigan, and Florida State.
How many championships did Nick Saban win at Alabama?
Nick Saban won six national championships as head coach at Alabama, he also won a national championship as LSU's head coach in 2003.
Which current head coaches have worked at Alabama?
Several current FBS head coaches worked at Alabama under Nick Saban: Kirby Smart (Georgia), Steve Sarkisian (Texas), Dan Lanning (Oregon), Mario Cristobal (Miami), Lane Kiffin (Ole Miss), Billy Napier (Florida), Curt Cignetti (Indiana), Brent Key (Georgia Tech), Mike Locksley (Maryland), Bill O'Brien (Boston College), Butch Jones (Arkansas State), Charles Huff (Southern Miss), Lance Taylor (Western Michigan), Major Applewhite (South Alabama), and Charles Kelly (Jacksonville State).
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