Alabama in talks with Kalen DeBoer about his coaching future
Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer was immediately linked to Michigan after Sherrone Moore was fired on Wednesday.
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On Sunday, DeBoer put to rest any rumors that he had an interest in taking over the Wolverines.
“My family and I are very happy in Tuscaloosa and remain extremely grateful for the support of President Mohler, Greg Byrne, the board and so many others," DeBoer wrote. "We have an incredible opportunity in front of us, so my sole focus is on Alabama football and our preparations to play Oklahoma in the College Football Playoff."
“I have not spoken and have no interest in speaking with anyone else about any other job. I am fully committed to this program and look forward to continuing as the head football coach at the University of Alabama.”
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DeBoer is getting No. 9 Alabama set to travel to play No. 8 Oklahoma in the first round of the College Football Playoff on Friday night. The Crimson Tide are 10-3 in DeBoer's second season with the program.
Per Pete Nakos and Chris Low of On3, the Crimson Tide and DeBoer are in talks about a contract extension for the head coach. The two parties have not signed or agreed to a new deal yet.
Last week, former Alabama running back Damien Harris suggested Deboer's job could be on the line during Friday night's game against the Sooners.
"In my opinion, I think his job is on the line with this game, and I think there’s a lot of reasons why,” Harris said. “One, we’ve seen how hard it is to beat a team twice in college football.
"And if we look at this Alabama team and we say you’ve showed no improvement from the first time you played Oklahoma to the second time — you weren’t able to make adjustments to flip the script of that game, and you can’t win that football game, luckily getting into the playoffs — that’s going to be a problem."
On Sunday, Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne claimed the program was committed to DeBoer.
"We are proud to have Coach DeBoer leading our football program at The University of Alabama,"Byrne wrote. "He is an incredible coach and does an excellent job with the development of our student-athletes, both on and off the field.
"Just as he is committed to this team, we are committed to him, and we look forward to taking the field Friday in the first round of the College Football Playoff."
Deboer, 51, is 19-7 overall and 12-4 in SEC play with Alabama. The Crimson Tide were most recently defeated 28-7 by Georgia in the SEC championship.
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