Colin Cowherd Calls Kalen DeBoer One of College Football’s Greatest Hires: Is He Right?

Replacing a legend is never easy.

Replacing Nick Saban at Alabama? That might be one of the most difficult assignments in college football history.

But according to national sports commentator Colin Cowherd, Alabama didn't just find a good replacement for Saban. The Crimson Tide may have made the greatest coaching hire ever following the departure of a legendary head coach.

That's quite a statement, especially considering the expectations surrounding Alabama football.

During Wednesday's edition of The Herd, Cowherd offered high praise for Kalen DeBoer, calling his hiring the greatest coaching transition following a legend in college football history.

"The greatest hire after a legend in the history of college football is DeBoer after Saban," Cowherd declared.

Cowherd compared DeBoer to former Boise State and Washington head coach Chris Petersen, emphasizing the respect Petersen commanded throughout the coaching profession. And while some Alabama fans might find Cowherd's assessment surprising, there is certainly an argument to be made that DeBoer deserves more credit than he has received.

Let's remember what this man walked into.

When Saban announced his retirement in January 2024, Alabama wasn't simply losing a football coach. The program was losing the man responsible for six national championships in Tuscaloosa, countless NFL draft picks, and nearly two decades of sustained dominance.

Saban didn't just build a winning football program. He established a standard that transformed Alabama into the measuring stick for college football.

And whoever followed him was going to be compared to that standard immediately.

There was no grace period.

No rebuilding excuse.

No opportunity to lower expectations.

At Alabama, the expectation has always been to compete for championships.

DeBoer understood that when he accepted the position, and he has spent the past three seasons navigating those expectations while establishing his own identity. Through 37 games, DeBoer has compiled a 27-10 record with an SEC Championship Game appearance and a College Football Playoff victory. Those accomplishments might not satisfy every Alabama fan, but they are not insignificant. Especially considering the changes taking place throughout college football.

The transfer portal, NIL, conference expansion, and increasingly competitive recruiting landscape have fundamentally changed how programs operate.

The Alabama program DeBoer inherited was not competing in the same environment Saban dominated for nearly two decades. And that's an important distinction.

During Cowherd's discussion with fellow FOX Sports analyst Joel Klatt, the two debated whether DeBoer's success could truly be considered the greatest coaching transition in college football history. Klatt pointed toward Jimbo Fisher replacing Bobby Bowden at Florida State, noting that Fisher eventually delivered a national championship. Cowherd pushed back, arguing that championships shouldn't be the only measurement of coaching success. And I understand his point. But I also understand why some Alabama fans remain skeptical.

This is Alabama.

Winning games is expected. Competing for SEC championships is expected. Making the College Football Playoff is expected. And eventually, winning a national championship will be the ultimate measuring stick for DeBoer's tenure.

That's not necessarily unfair. It's the reality of coaching at one of the most successful programs in college football history. However, I believe there needs to be some balance in how we evaluate his performance.

DeBoer has made mistakes. His teams have struggled with inconsistent offensive production, questionable execution, and frustrating losses that Alabama fans have every right to criticize. The back-to-back losses to Georgia and Tennessee earlier this season raised legitimate concerns about the direction of the program.

There have been games where Alabama looked completely prepared and others where the Crimson Tide appeared to struggle with fundamentals.

That inconsistency deserves attention. But so does the response.

Following those losses, Alabama bounced back with victories over Texas A&M and LSU, including an impressive 31-13 road victory in Baton Rouge. The Crimson Tide now sits at 7-2 overall and 5-2 in SEC play, ranked No. 3 in the latest College Football Playoff rankings.

That matters.

Championship-caliber programs aren't defined solely by whether they experience adversity. They're also defined by how they respond to it. And DeBoer has shown an ability to keep Alabama competitive despite setbacks.

I also believe we sometimes overlook the difficulty of following someone like Saban. There was never going to be another Nick Saban. And quite frankly, Alabama doesn't need DeBoer to become a carbon copy of him. It needs DeBoer to establish his own standard of excellence while maintaining the championship expectations that have defined this program.

That means recruiting at an elite level, developing players, holding everyone accountable, making necessary adjustments, and winning the biggest games. It also means recognizing when something isn't working and having the willingness to change it.

I've been critical of Alabama's offensive inconsistencies throughout the season, particularly when it comes to the running game and slow starts. And I still believe those concerns are valid.

Supporting a head coach doesn't mean ignoring areas that need improvement. Accountability and support can exist together. That's something I wish more college football fans understood.

You can believe DeBoer is the right man for Alabama while also demanding better execution on Saturdays. You can appreciate what he has accomplished without pretending every decision has been perfect. And you can acknowledge Saban's unprecedented legacy without expecting his successor to duplicate it immediately.

Cowherd's comments might be bold, but they also highlight something worth remembering: Alabama remains nationally relevant, highly ranked, and positioned to compete for another College Football Playoff appearance.

Three seasons after losing the greatest coach in college football history, the Crimson Tide remains firmly in the championship conversation. That's not something to dismiss.

Does that make DeBoer the greatest coaching hire following a legend? I believe it's still too early to make that declaration.

A national championship would certainly strengthen the argument. But I also believe DeBoer deserves recognition for what he has accomplished under enormous pressure.

The standard at Alabama should never change. The expectations should never diminish. And the pursuit of championships should always remain the goal.

But perhaps it's time to recognize that maintaining a nationally competitive program after replacing Nick Saban is an accomplishment in itself.

Kalen DeBoer wasn't hired to be Nick Saban.

He was hired to keep Alabama competing for championships.

And with the Crimson Tide sitting at No. 3 in the country, he has an opportunity to make Cowherd's bold statement look even more convincing.

The ultimate verdict will come on the football field.

And at Alabama, that's exactly where it should be.

Roll Tide.