The salary and contract details of new Alabama football head coach Kalen DeBoer are available to the public for the first time since his hire in January.
The University of Alabama Board of Trustees unanimously authorized DeBoer’s $10 million yearly salary on Monday afternoon. The contract will climb to $11,750,000 by the last year and will run for eight years, ending on December 21, 2031.
DeBoer is now among the top five paid coaches in the nation, only surpassed by Dabo Swinney of Clemson, Kirby Smart of Georgia, and Steve Sarkisian of Texas. Compared to what DeBoer was earning at Washington, this is a significant pay increase. His salary during the previous season with the Huskies was $4.2 million.
DeBoer will receive a $5 million buyout in 2024, $4 million in 2025, $3 million in 2026, and $0 for the balance of his existing contract after that.
DeBoer’s contract also includes performance-based bonuses for sports and academics. In addition to a $125,000 prize if Alabama wins, he will receive a $75,000 bonus for participating in SEC championship games. A $150,000 bonus is awarded for participating in the College Football Playoffs; this incentive rises with each round ($250,000 for the quarterfinals, $400,000 for the semifinals, and $600,000 for the title game). In the event that Alabama wins the national championship, he will receive a $875,000 incentive.
According to the contract, he is only eligible for two rewards under that particular section. He would thus receive $1 million in performance-based awards, for instance, if the Crimson Tide won both the SEC and the CFP in the same season.
In terms of academic performance, DeBoer will get a $100,000 bonus if Alabama places among the top four SEC teams in terms of graduation rates.
With a salary of more than $11 million in 2023, former Alabama head coach Nick Saban was the highest paid college football coach. However, that followed seven national titles and decades of glory.
The football staff’s new and returning contracts were authorized by the board of trustees. David Ballou, the strength coach, and Freddie Roach, the associate head coach and running backs’ assistant, were among the returning players. Bryan Ellis (tight ends), Chris Kapilovic (offensive line), Maurice Linguist (co-defensive coordinator/defensive backs), Christian Robinson (outside linebackers), Jay Nunez (special teams), Courtney Morgan (general manager), and JaMarcus Shepherd (assistant head coach, co-offensive coordinator/wide receivers) are the new hires. The original contracts for offensive coordinator/quarterback Nick Sheridan and defensive coordinator/linebacker Kane Wommack were also approved.
