The Alabama Crimson Tide and director of athletics Greg Byrne agreed to a contract extension with head coach Kalen DeBoer — adding two years to his deal and making him one of the top-five highest paid coaches in college football, as well as ending any hot seat talk.

DeBoer was set to make $10.5 million in 2026, but the new deal raises his salary to $12.5 million annually as he continues to try to get Alabama back to national title contention following a little bit of an up and down in the first couple of seasons.

“My family and I would like to thank the Board of Trustees, Chancellor (Sid) Trant, President (Peter) Mohler, Director of Athletics Greg Byrne, our athletics administration and football staff, this community and the University for their continued support of Alabama Football,” DeBoer said in a statement. “We are excited about the opportunity to continue our time in Tuscaloosa with this contract extension.”

“This University has become a special place to us, and I look forward to working to ensure that Alabama football remains at the forefront of college football. This program has a long history of success and an unmatched tradition that I was eager to be a part of two years ago, and I cannot wait to keep coaching our guys and bring more championships to Alabama.”

Beyond just the salary commitment however, is the commitment Alabama is showing DeBoer in terms of what it would take to get rid of him, with some new buyout figures that are absolutely staggering.

If DeBoer were to be fired without cause after this upcoming season, he would be owed close to $70 million, along with more than $55 million if he were let go after the 2027 season.

That number does not dip below even $20 million until after the 2030 season, meaning the Tide likely has their head coach locked up for the foreseeable future.

After being heavily pursued this offseason by both Penn State and Michigan, DeBoer showed loyalty to Alabama by dismissing the interest, and now Alabama is showing loyalty right back.