Alabama rewards DeBoer, Oats with raises, extensions after postseason runs

Alabama turned two postseason runs into a long-term investment on both sidelines, betting it can remain an elite football-and-basketball program by paying to keep Kalen DeBoer and Nate Oats in Tuscaloosa. The school’s latest contracts were about more than rewarding results. They signaled that Alabama is willing to spend aggressively to protect continuity as NIL, the transfer portal and a crowded coaching market keep raising the cost of staying on top.

The University of Alabama System Board of Trustees approved DeBoer’s new contract in a virtual Compensation Committee meeting Wednesday. The deal pays him $12.5 million per season and runs through Jan. 31, 2033, with a $10 million buyout through Jan. 31, 2027 that drops to $8 million after that and $6 million the following year. DeBoer has gone 20-8 in two seasons at Alabama, including an 11-4 finish last year that sent the Crimson Tide to the College Football Playoff.

That postseason trip included a 34-24 victory over Oklahoma in the first round, followed by a 38-3 loss to eventual national champion Indiana in the quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl. Even with that ending, Alabama moved to lock DeBoer in after an offseason in which he was linked to openings at Michigan and Penn State, though he did not interview for either job. DeBoer said Alabama has become “a special place for my family” and that he wants to help keep Alabama football “at the forefront of college football.” Athletic director Greg Byrne said DeBoer has done “a commendable job developing student-athletes.”

Oats received a parallel vote of confidence on the basketball side. His new deal adds a $1.2 million raise, lifting his salary to $7.2 million per season, and extends him through 2032. The agreement was approved Wednesday by the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees and comes after Alabama reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament. Oats had already signed an extension through 2030 in 2024, and he recently said he had “absolutely no reason to leave” Alabama amid speculation about other jobs.

The financial picture helps explain why Alabama can keep making those bets. The university reported a $32.7 million athletics surplus for fiscal year 2025, the largest among public SEC schools, after posting the conference’s biggest deficit the year before. Alabama ranked third in SEC revenue at $267.4 million and fifth in expenses at $235.7 million, even with football alone accounting for about $82.9 million in expenses. For a department built on booster expectations and national visibility, the extensions were a statement that Alabama intends to buy stability before the market tries to price it out.