"Angry Bama boosters will have $70 million ready by Monday": Fans want Kalen DeBoer fired as HC's buyout takes spotlight after crushing loss to FSU

Kalen DeBoer had the worst start possible to his second year in charge of the Alabama Crimson Tide. Eighth-ranked Alabama suffered a 31-17 loss in its season opener at the unranked Florida State Seminoles on Saturday. The defeat raised more questions about his fit as Nick Saban's successor.

After the game, fans on social media demanded that Alabama fire DeBoer despite his multi-million-dollar buyout.

DeBoer took over as the Crimson Tide coach in January 2024. Last season, he could only muster a 9-4 campaign and a ReliaQuest Bowl loss to Michigan, failing to qualify for the 12-team College Football Playoff and compete for the SEC title.

If the Alabama coach is fired "without cause," he will earn 90% of the remaining money in his contract in installments. Thus, if DeBoer is sent packing during the regular season, his buyout would be at $63 million. However, if the Tide cut DeBoer on Dec. 1, it would amount to $60 million.

The Crimson Tide took an early lead against Florida State on Saturday. Quarterback Ty Simpson found Josh Cuevas with a 2-yard TD pass. The Seminoles quickly responded with Tommy Castellanos' 9-yard rushing touchdown.

In the second quarter, Florida State continued the offensive momentum to secure a 17-7 lead at halftime. In the third quarter, running back Caziah Holmes scored a 4-yard rushing TD to extend the lead. However, a 40-yard field goal by Conor Talty, followed by a six-yard TD pass from Ty Simpson, minimized the deficit. FSU sealed the victory thanks to Gavin Sawchuk's 14-yard rushing TD.

Kalen DeBoer opens up about Ty Simpson's debut as the starting quarterback

After Jalen Milroe's departure in this year's NFL draft, Kalen DeBoer named Ty Simpson as the QB1. Against the Seminoles, he was 23 of 43 for 254 yards and two touchdowns.

In the postgame news conference, DeBoer shared his take on Simpson's debut.

"He has to trust his reads and cut it loose sometimes," DeBoer said, according to CBS Sports. "Just let it fly. He can make the throws. Let it fly. Throw on rhythm, throw on time. There might have been a time or two where they got in his face a little quick. That's going to happen. That's football.

"And just some decision-making there in certain critical moments. That's the thing he's going to learn from. He's given everything he has."

Alabama's next opponent is the ULM Warhawks on Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium. It will be broadcast on the SEC Network at 7:45 p.m. ET.

About the author

Priyam is a College Sports content executive at Sportskeeda with a master's in Advertising and Marketing Management and over two years of experience as a writer. When it comes to reporting, Priyam believes doing a technical deep dive is one of his biggest strengths and he loves to dissect plays on the field and factor out the strengths/weaknesses of players.

A fan of the Alabama Crimson Tide football team, Priyam sees Nick Saban as the greatest coach of all time. He is also rooting for Alabama quarterback Jalen Milore after following his progress over the years. The Michigan Wolverines football team is another of his favorite programs and it will be interesting to see how both these teams perform in new coaching eras.

When he’s not reporting, Priyam is usually at the gym or indulging in music. He has been a guitarist and a drummer for the past 17 years and finds his time of peace when playing music.

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Edited by Dipayan Moitra