Alabama’s $12M Buyout Kalen DeBoer Comes Out Clean on Nick Saban ‘Pressure’ Amid ‘Chip Of The Shoulder’ Remark

Taking up legendary coach Nick Saban’s role, Kalen DeBoer has justified himself. As Saban is enjoying his time off away from coaching responsibilities, Alabama has secured a $12 million deal with DeBoer. 

With the responsibility of this new role, his remark had created a stir among the NFL fans. However, the coach who guided Washinton to the College Football Playoff national championship sees this opportunity as a privilege rather than a burden. There are multiple layers in the DeBoer contract.    

With the Crimson Tide witnessing the change in their coaching line, DeBoer aims to instill an “attack” mindset in the team. Owning the new title, the coach has made himself clear that he wishes to continue Saban’s legacy rather than merely fill his big shoes. As reported by the sources, acknowledging the mounting expectations, DeBoer navigates through the positive aspects attached to the role.

He commented, “I look at it as a privilege, and not pressure, to be able to come to a place like this. I understand that there are expectations that are extremely high. But think about what the alternative is — to be at a place that doesn’t have expectations.” Chris Low from ESPN tweeted about the new coach’s stance. 

DeBoer before stepping into Alabam had a successful stint with Washington Huskies. As a head coach, he holds an impressive track record of winning 11 or more games within his nine seasons as a head coach. Bringing a history of success to the Crimson Tide, he acknowledged that both Alabama and he has been left in a similar situation by Saban’s retirement, “I think there’s maybe a common chip on our shoulder.” Besides DeBoer’s remark, his contract has also become an important point of discussion. 

Alabama’s expensive move in coaching lineup

DeBoer taking up legendary coach Saban’s position is no small feat. With the coaching transition finalized, Mark Schlabach and Chris Low from ESPN were present during the negotiations between the newly-appointed coach and Alabama. It was Low who later brought forward, Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger’s views on the contract. 

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As tweeted by Dellenger, Alabama is set to pay Washington approximately $12 million in an attempt to buy out the existing deal held by DeBoer. This hefty buyout accompanied by the expected salary of the newly recruited coach has been expected to reach beyond $10 million. Based on the previous reports, DeBoer received an offer from Washington that tried to retain him in the Huskies. The seven-year deal proposed over $9 million per season. However, the coach decided to move out of Washington and join Alabama.

The decision to invest heavily in DeBoer comes from the belief that he is a fitting choice to lead the Crimson Tide in the post-Saban era. In this way, Alabama will be maintaining a competitive edge by securing top-tier coaching talent.