Kalen DeBoer contract, buyout details as Alabama football hires Washington coach
Alabama football's hiring of Kalen DeBoer, according to as confirmed to The Tuscaloosa News, won't come cheap.
DeBoer led the Huskies to a 14-1 record in 2023 and a College Football Playoff berth, beating No. 3 Texas 37-31 in the CFP semifinal at the Sugar Bowl on New Year's Day. The Huskies fell to Michigan in a 34-13 loss at the national championship game.
The year prior, DeBoer led the Huskies to an 11-2 record and an Alamo Bowl victory over the Longhorns. In all, DeBoer lost just three games in his two-year tenure as Washington's coach after being named to the position in November 2021.
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According to a report by ESPN's Pete Thamel, Washington presented a proposal to retain DeBoer, offering him a contract that would exceed his 2023 salary of $4.2 million by more than double. However, the bright lights of the SEC and the challenge of succeeding Nick Saban may have been too enticing to pass up for DeBoer.
Washington made a strong push to keep Kalen DeBoer, attempting to make him one of the country's Top 10 coaches, per sources. They offered to double his current base of $4.2 million (before bonuses). https://t.co/B5D5rDXC5g
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) January 12, 2024
Here's what you need to know about Kalen DeBoer's contract.
Kalen DeBoer buyout at Washington
According to DeBoer's contract, obtained by the USA TODAY Network, the second-year Washington coach and replacement for Saban commands a $12 million buyout.
To compare, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney's contract, which includes an Alabama-specific clause, would have been only $7.5 million if he had taken the Alabama job.
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Kalen DeBoer contract details
After signing on to be Washington's coach in November 2021, Kalen DeBoer signed a two-year contract extension in November 2022 through the 2028 season.
It gave him a $4.2 million salary in 2023 according to USA TODAY's coaching salary database, a $1 million pay raise from the 2022 season. It also included annual raises of $100,000 and performance-related bonuses.
That made DeBoer the 44th-highest-paid coach in college football. To compare, Saban ranked first among all coaches at public schools with a $11.4 million salary in 2023.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Kalen DeBoer contract buyout: How much does Alabama owe Washington?
