Kalen DeBoer’s buyout is impossibly large for Alabama to irrationally fire the former Washington Huskies head coach
By Ethan Lee
Things haven’t been perfect for Kalen DeBoer since he left Seattle to coach in Tuscaloosa. The former head coach of the Washington Huskies has suffered a couple of losses, one being a monumental upset at the hands of the Vanderbilt Commodores of all teams, and there are plenty of Alabama football fans who aren’t thrilled with their current head coach.
But should the Crimson Tide really entertain the notion of firing their first year head coach? Would it be wise for Alabama to go down that path?
While there are likely some folks who are intrigued by the thought of firing DeBoer in his first season with the Crimson Tide, that may not be their best decision. If they decide to go down that path, then they’re going to need to spend a really big chunk of change because DeBoer’s buyout is absolutely massive.
What is Kalen DeBoer’s buyout?
According to USA Today’s For The Win, DeBoer’s buyout is the second largest buyout in the country after December 1. We’re talking upwards of $70 million. And that doesn’t include the cost of any potential firings of coordinators who might have buyouts built into their contracts.
It also wouldn’t include the cost of trying to hire a new coach and all of the corresponding coaching staff hires that would need to be made. Plus, with the process of hiring a new coach and coaching staff, you’ll sometimes have to pay for a part of buyout for your new guy, just as Alabama did with DeBoer and Washington and just as Washington did for Jedd Fisch and Arizona.
Why are we talking about Kalen DeBoer’s buyout at Alabama?
Interestingly enough, there are some lessons here that Washington Huskies fans could probably learn from.
There are some parallels happening in Seattle. After DeBoer was poached by the Crimson Tide, Washington did a little poaching of its own to get Jedd Fisch. Fisch is an accomplished coach, but he isn’t living up to the standard set by his predecessor. At least not yet.
And that has folks angry! And there are some Washington Husky fans who are ready to move on already. So, what does that mean for the Huskies? If Washington were to try to move on from their current head coach, they’d have to pay a buyout of upwards of $40 million. That’s a tough pill to swallow. It’s a lot of money. And that’s not counting the costs of hiring a new head coach.
Maybe a little bit of patience is warranted on Montlake. And probably also in Tuscaloosa.