There’s no answer key or proven scientific formula to grade Kalen DeBoer’s first year as the coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide. Which is to say it is all subjective.

McElroy ultimately gave DeBoer a B- for his Year 1 performance. He specifically mentioned Alabama’s bowl game loss to Michigan as a reason for the lower grade:

Former Alabama football quarterback, Greg McElroy issued Kalen DeBoer a letter grade after his first season as the head coach of the Crimson Tide. McElroy

The first-year hits came from unexpected places on the 2024 coaching carousel after college football grappled with a series of seismic openings late in the calendar. Nick Saban's January retirement set off dominoes that led to coaching changes at Washington,

Despite missing the College Football Playoffs in his first year as the Alabama head coach, Kalen DeBoer “actually handled (Year 1) properly from a strategic standpoint,” says college football analyst Josh Pate.

DeBoer took Washington to the championship game in his second season as head coach. Is it realistic to expect the same thing at Alabama?

Here’s what Kalen DeBoer’s career has looked like in his second seasons as a head coach ahead of heading into year two at Alabama.