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.

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

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:

It wasn't the season Kalen DeBoer and the Alabama Crimson Tide were hoping for in the first campaign of the post-Nick Saban era.

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,

Kalen DeBoer wrapped up his first season as head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide before the New Year. His team finished the season 9-4 overall and just barely missed out on the College Football Playoffs.

Kalen DeBoer put Alabama fans through a wide range of emotions last season. Replacing the retired Nick Saban, DeBoer led the Crimson Tide to a 9-4 finish. What that record would constitute a success for most first-year head coaches,

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.

The 2025 season could be the turning point for Alabama football. Head coach Kalen DeBoer's choice under center is key to determining which direction that turning point will head.The best bet is on the Crimson Tide head coach selecting Ty Simpson as the starter,