The noise around Kalen DeBoer and Michigan won’t go away.
DeBoer survived an opening-week loss to Florida State to lead Alabama back to the College Football Playoff by the skin of their teeth, but the rumors of his departure picked back up when the Michigan job opened up last week. Because of the surprising nature of Sherrone Moore’s exit out of Ann Arbor and DeBoer’s early coaching experience in the Midwest, many expect him to give strong consideration to the Wolverines job.
However, Thursday on Pardon the Interruption, Michael Wilbon predicted that DeBoer might just have his mind made up for him.
As part of a relatively unrelated debate about the value of coaches vs. quarterbacks in college football, the ESPN commentator blew through all the latest intel to make the argument that the whole situation will go up in smoke, ending with DeBoer in Ann Arbor: the Crimson Tide will lose at home to Oklahoma in the College Football playoff, DeBoer will get fired, and he will replace Moore.
“The coach at Alabama is going to have a job-on-the-line situation in 24 hours, and then headed to Michigan once he loses,” Wilbon said. “And then Alabama’s looking. Then what are you going to say?”
Michael Wilbon seems pretty convinced Kalen DeBoer is headed to Ann Arbor 😳
“The coach at Alabama is going to have a job-on-the-line situation in 24 hours, and then headed to Michigan once he loses. And then Alabama’s looking. Then what are you going to say?” pic.twitter.com/2Gh9NjKmj9
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) December 18, 2025
Wilbon isn’t the only one to try and reignite the hot seat under DeBoer. Earlier this week, former ‘Bama running back Damien Harris argued that DeBoer’s job was on the line against the Sooners.
But DeBoer, who is in the second year of a lucrative eight-year contract he signed to replace Nick Saban in 2024, has insisted he is not going anywhere. So far, Michigan has operated pretty quietly in its search.
“He’ll have interest,” Wilbon said. “Later (on Friday).”
If the college football coaching carousel has taught us anything this season, it is to never say never. However, Wilbon spoke very confidently on PTI about a version of events that would need numerous big dominoes to fall to in order to come true.
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.