Kalen DeBoer’s first season as Alabama football’s head coach didn’t meet expectations. There’s plenty of places where a nine-win season and a bowl appearance would be cause for celebration under a new coach, but Tuscaloosa isn’t one of them, especially after Nick Saban’s tenure.

The Alabama Crimson Tide finished the 2024 season with a 9-4 record. That's a pretty good season for most SEC programs, but that's not the standard at Alabama (thanks to Nick Saban's brilliance). Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer,

MOBILE, Ala. — Kalen DeBoer knows Alabama football has to be better. Standing outside of Hancock Whitney Stadium for the 2025 Senior Bowl, the Alabama football coach harkened back to his expectation for the Crimson Tide when he first took the job: to perform at a championship level.