Paul Finebaum drops bold verdict as Kalen DeBoer takes 7x champ Nick Saban's spot at Alabama: "They're overvaluing him"
Alabama Crimson Tide coach Kalen DeBoer took on the unenviable task of replacing seven-time national championship-winning coach Nick Saban after the latter's retirement. As the season approaches, the new Tide coach will be under the spotlight to see whether he is up to the task.
During an appearance on the Gojo and Golic show, ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum had a different opinion of the Alabama coach. He believes that fans are getting ahead of themselves with their opinions about his abilities (1:07:45).
“I don’t want to sound like a Wall Street analyst, but I think they’re overvaluing him a little bit,” Finebaum said of Alabama fans. “And it’s nothing against him. I’ll spare you guys the resume. Everyone knows that it’s impeccable.
“But it’s a little bit like back in the day, maybe not quite as much now, but a Notre Dame loss on a Monday and the whole country is beside itself. It’s the same way at Alabama, except it’s a little more current because of Saban having just left. And I don’t think Kalen DeBoer’s prepared for that.”
Kalen DeBoer out on the spotlight by analyst
Kalen DeBoer will undoubtedly be under pressure right from the start to show that he can maintain the standards that Crimson Tide fans are used to. It is not unexpected that he might lose a few games in what promises to be a blockbuster SEC (Southeastern Conference) season.
On the Gojo and Golic show, Finebaum questioned whether DeBoer had the chops to deal with all the backlash that comes with an Alabama loss.
“I don’t care how many wins he’s (DeBoer) had, a Monday at Alabama after an unexpected loss – now I’m not saying losing to Georgia which wouldn’t be a shock,” Finebaum said. “But let’s say they got upset at Madison the third week of the season, I mean I’ve seen this, I’ve made a career out of this. … And nobody shows mercy. And where I’m sitting right now would probably be the toughest place for his family to tune in to."
The Alabama Crimson Tide are +116 to win 9.5 games, according to FanDuel, with the uncertainty around Kalen DeBoer driving those odds. The former Washington Huskies coach will have to prove his mettle the hard way.