Kalen DeBoer has one of the best jobs in college football, and the Alabama coach has no intention of voluntarily giving it up anytime soon.
DeBoer is in his second season at Alabama and looking to lead the team to a College Football Playoff appearance. The Crimson Tide can accomplish that either via an automatic berth with a win over Georgia in the SEC Championship Game on Saturday or an at-large bid.
There has been some recent talk that DeBoer might have interest in Penn State, which is still searching for a new head coach. DeBoer was asked about those unrealistic rumors on Thursday, and he emphatically shot them down.
“We are extremely happy at Alabama. That’s the first time I’ve been asked, so I appreciate you, Charlie. We are extremely happy here, love the challenge, love the grind, love this place,” DeBoer said. “There’s never been any link, there’s never been any conversation, there’s never been any interest either way. So, I’m glad we can put that to bed right now.”
"We are extremely happy at Alabama. … There's never been any link, any conversation, any interest either way. I'm glad we can put that to bed right now."
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) December 4, 2025
Kalen DeBoer's response to being asked about the Penn State job. pic.twitter.com/uFi1vq1zqO
Alabama went 9-4 last year and did not reach the College Football Playoff. That was unfamiliar territory for the school after Nick Saban’s reign of dominance. The Crimson Tide have looked better in DeBoer’s second year, however, and already beat Georgia this season. Alabama s 10-2 and could conceivably make the playoff with a loss to Georgia on Saturday, despite missing the CFP when they were 9-3 last year.
Either way, it does not sound like DeBoer has given any thought to leaving. Though he had some surprising complaints after last season, DeBoer has one of the most coveted jobs in college football. There was never a chance he was going to leave it for Penn State, barring something completely unexpected.
