The 2025 season is just five months away, and many coaches are hoping for success to ease the pressure from the previous season.
Two of these coaches lead schools that are fierce rivals: Kalen DeBoer of the Alabama Crimson Tide and Hugh Freeze of the Auburn Tigers. Both are facing pressure after very different seasons.
In DeBoer’s first season, Alabama finished with a record of 9-4, marking the program’s most losses since 2007, Nick Saban’s first year as head coach. Meanwhile, Auburn had a disappointing 5-7 record, resulting in its fourth consecutive losing season, two of which were under Freeze’s leadership.
ESPN’s Paul Finebaum joined On3’s Ari Wasserman and Andy Staples to discuss the situation. When asked which coach is under more pressure in 2025, Finebaum expressed his belief that it is DeBoer.
“I think in some ways it’s Kalen DeBoer,” Finebaum said. “Because Hugh Freeze, for whatever reason, is still very well-liked by his constituency. I think he has people believing in him in spite of the fairly underwhelming two years. One more thing and this is the most important thing: Hugh Freeze succeeded Bryan Harsin. Do I need to finish the next sentence with Kalen DeBoer?”
Finebaum stated that the standards at the two schools are very different. He mentioned that if Freeze had won nine games, he would likely receive a contract extension. In contrast, Kalen DeBoer did win nine games last year, but Finebaum believes it was the worst season for the program since 2007, describing it as a “disaster.” However, he does give DeBoer some credit for understanding the expectations.
When asked what would be considered a successful season for DeBoer in the upcoming year, Finebaum replied, “The playoffs, at a bare minimum, would be a success.” He added that if DeBoer fails to make the playoffs, he would face significant challenges, describing it as being “in a world of suffocation.” Finebaum thinks that DeBoer would likely keep his job in that scenario, but only by a slim margin.
The Crimson Tide will open the season against the Florida State Seminoles on Aug. 30, 2025.