Kalen DeBoer Named Top Option in Penn State Coaching Search

Earlier this week, Penn State reporter Jon Sauber published a head coach hot board for the Penn State Nittany Lions, who fired head coach James Franklin after Franklin's disappointing turn for the 2025 college football season following three straight losses to Oregon, UCLA, and Northwestern. It was the Lions' first loss to the Wildcats since 2015, and ultimately spelled the end of the James Franklin era in State College.

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The hot board published by Sauber included several names that have been linked to other openings across the country, including Texas A&M coach Mike Elko, Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz, and James Madison head coach Bob Chesney. One name that may catch some fans by surprise is Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer, who Sauber ranked No. 2 on his hot board for the Nittany Lions.

Sauber reports that DeBoer is 'still the program's primary target...The Alabama head coach is much more likely now than he was last week after the Crimson Tide lost to Oklahoma.' Sauber also reports that DeBoer is 'not a great fit at the program...'

DeBoer finished his first season at Alabama 9-4, with key wins over No. 2 Georgia at home and a road win against top-15 LSU. Alabama struggled away from Bryant-Denny Stadium, losing at Vanderbilt, at Tennessee, at Oklahoma, and in the bowl game against Michigan in Tampa, Florida. The Tide's road woes carried into week one this season, with Alabama falling 31-17 against Florida State in Tallahassee, Florida. The Crimson Tide then rattled off eight straight wins, including four ranked wins (No. 5 Georgia, No. 16 Vanderbilt, No. 14 Missouri, No. 11 Tennessee) and three road wins (No. 5 Georgia, No. 14 Missouri, South Carolina) before falling to No. 11 Oklahoma at home last Saturday. Alabama still controls its own destiny regarding the SEC championship and the College Football Playoffs, with a win against Auburn (and a Vanderbilt win over Kentucky this Saturday) clinching a spot in Atlanta for Alabama, and a win in the SEC Championship punching the Crimson Tide's ticket to the College Football Playoffs.

Sauber joined Tide 100.9's Ryan Fowler on Thursday to discuss DeBoer's positioning with Penn State and how the Crimson Tide's head coach landed as a top candidate for the Nittany Lions.

"He's been one of Penn State's top targets from the beginning," Sauber said with Fowler on Thursday afternoon. "I think it was, early on, a little bit pie in the sky, of course, Alabama's close game with South Carolina, there was a chance it could have picked up there.

"It didn't, and then the loss to Oklahoma nudged the door open a little bit. I still think Alabama would have to miss the playoffs to make this a real possibility, which, obviously, would include a loss to Auburn to end the year. And I'm sure the reaction down there wouldn't be great. He's been the top target since early on; I know they have a lot of respect for him and what he's done in his career, and he's someone that they think would be an excellent coach here at Penn State."

Mike Elko was the top target for Penn State, but he signed a contract extension with Texas A&M ahead of the Aggies' 31-30 victory over South Carolina on Saturday. After Elko's extension, Penn State administration dialed in on the Crimson Tide's second-year head coach.

"It was Mike Elko for a while there, until he signed his extension with Texas A&M. I don't think it's coincidence that Elko hadn't signed that extension right away. I think there was a decision that had to be made there."

Sauber also talked about the fit of Kalen DeBoer at Alabama, a Midwest guy who spent much of his coaching career on the West Coast before moving across the country to replace the greatest football coach of all time after Nick Saban retired in January 2024.

"I think the fit at Alabama with Kalen DeBoer has not always been the best, and I think that could be reason for interest on his side. This is legitimate, from Penn State's side at least," Sauber said. "They have a lot of interest in him and see him as someone who would be an ideal fit at Penn State."

If Kalen DeBoer were to leave Alabama before his contract is up, he would owe Alabama $4 million until December 31, and the buyout would shrink to $3 million in 2026. He would owe Alabama nothing from 2027-31 if he left Tuscaloosa before the end of his contract.

"I don't think Alabama is firing Kalen DeBoer anytime soon, to be clear," Sauber said. "It would have to be a situation where everything gets uncomfortable enough where everyone is kind of like 'hey, maybe this isn't best. Maybe everyone should kind of move forward and go from there. I think that would be the kind of scenario that would have to play out for DeBoer to really be in play at Penn State and to really make this a legitimate threat to happen."

Penn State fans will be rooting for Auburn in the Iron Bowl if they hope to lure DeBoer away from Tuscaloosa. Alabama's must-win game at Auburn got that much more important. In addition to playing for a rivalry win, a chance at the SEC championship, and a spot in the College Football Playoffs, Alabama may also be playing to keep its head coach.

Sauber also said the backup plan for Penn State, if Alabama does claim its sixth straight victory over Auburn next Saturday, would be to target a coach like Brent Key, a former Alabama assistant coach who currently is the head coach at Georgia Tech. He added one more nugget of information at the end of the call, saying if Alabama did come open, Key would be a name to watch for the Crimson Tide.

You can listen to Ryan Fowler's full interview with Jon Sauber on Tide 100.9 here.

Wyatt Fulton is the Tide 100.9 DME and Brand Manager, primarily covering Alabama Crimson Tide football and men's basketball. For more Crimson Tide coverage, follow Wyatt on X (Formerly known as Twitter) at @FultonW_.