Kalen Deboer-to-Michigan is dead; it is time for the Wolverines to turn their eyes to Kenny Dillingham

Kalen DeBoer to Michigan? 

When Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer threw a 7-yard TD pass to Isaiah Sategna for a 17-0 lead with 10:51 left in the first half of Friday's first-round College Football Playoff game at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, it was presented that way on X and other social-media platforms. 

It's amazing how fast that changed in real time for No. 8 Alabama. A fourth-and-2 call that led to a touchdown pass from Ty Simpson to freshman Lotzier Brooks helped tie the game with No. 9 Oklahoma (10-3) by halftime. The Crimson Tide pulled away in the second half for a 34-24 victory that means DeBoer will lead Alabama (11-3) into a Rose Bowl matchup against No. 1 Indiana (13-0) on Jan. 1. 

You can close the book on DeBoer-to-Michigan. The Wolverines had their chance to hire DeBoer when Jim Harbaugh left after No. 1 Michigan beat No. 2 Washington – led by DeBoer –  in the CFP championship game on Jan. 8, 2024. 

They won't get a second chance now. 

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Why Kalen DeBoer will stay at Alabama now  

There is no question DeBoer's future loomed over the matchup between the Crimson Tide and Sooners. Nick Saban — whose six-national-championship shadow still hangs over the program — addressed the speculation on ESPN's "College GameDay.” 

"Kalen DeBoer has the total and complete support of the University of Alabama," Saban said. "They want him to be the coach at Alabama. Maybe they can get him to Michigan. I don't know."

DeBoer released a statement Sunday to squash that speculation. 

"I have not spoken and have no interest in speaking with anyone else and any other job," DeBoer said in the statement. "I am fully committed to this program and look forward to continuing as the head football coach at the University of Alabama."

𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚: Alabama HC Kalen DeBoer releases a statement on his future with Alabama 👀 pic.twitter.com/nLboaEHx5F

Yet the Michigan speculation continued – and why wouldn't it? The 2025-26 coaching carousel had Lane Kiffin leave for LSU with No. 6 Ole Miss in the playoff. Jon Sumrall will leave No. 11 Tulane for Florida and Bob Chesney will leave No. 12 James Madison for UCLA when their respective CFP runs are over.

Four coordinators on CFP teams – Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein (Kentucky) and defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi (Cal), Ohio State Brian Hartline offensive coordinator (South Florida) and Texas A&M offensive coordinator Collin Klein (Kansas State) – will take new jobs, too. 

None of those jobs carry nearly the same weight as DeBoer at Alabama, and there was reason to at least hear a potential Michigan offer. DeBoer entered Friday's game against Oklahoma with a 19-7 record — including a 6-4 record in road games. The 28-7 loss to No. 3 Georgia in the SEC championship game prompted many to wonder whether Alabama even belonged in the playoff in the first place — which was amplified after the Crimson Tide fell behind 17-0 to the Sooners. 

Remember the heat on DeBoer after the 31-17 loss at Florida State on Aug. 30? That pressure to match Saban at Alabama is never going away. Yet at the same time that demeans what DeBoer is working toward in Tuscaloosa. Saban retired on Jan. 10, 2024. The transfer portal and NIL were part of that decision, and DeBoer is trying to build Alabama into a national championship contender in a far-more unhinged landscape. 

Perhaps the most impressive part is DeBoer stuck with Simpson instead of dipping into the transfer portal for a quarterback this season. Simpson shook off a slow start in the first half. Simpson finished 18 of 29 for 232 yards and two TDs. Alabama won despite just 30 rushing yards, but they did not commit a turnover. 

Why would DeBoer leave for Michigan? The Wolverines dodged a pair of NCAA investigations without substantial penalties, but the uncertainty within the future of the department as a whole remains under athletic director Warde Manuel after Sherrone Moore was fired on Dec. 10. 

We can debate whether Alabama or Michigan is the better job. Maybe Michigan is a better fit for DeBoer long term – an easier place to win nine or 10 games every year and get access to the CFP. DeBoer, however, would be forever marked as the coach who left one comparable job for another after two years based on those factors – and there is no way he does that before the Rose Bowl. There is no way he does that period, right?

Besides, Alabama will be a popular upset pick against Big Ten champion Indiana. Would you be surprised if the Crimson Tide won that game and advanced to the CFP semifinals? DeBoer is in a better position to win a national championship right now than he might ever be at Michigan.

That is how much things changed based on Friday's result. The Wolverines needed DeBoer to lose to have a better chance to reel him in. So what does Michigan do now?

Why Michigan cannot wait for Kalen DeBoer 

The transfer portal opens on Jan. 2. The Wolverines cannot afford a mass exodus of talent from a 9-3 roster. The focus of course, would be on quarterback Bryce Underwood, who had 2,229 yards, nine TDs and six interceptions as a freshman. If that happens, then it happens. 

The Wolverines need a coach who will bring stability to the program. 

Michigan cannot afford to wait on DeBoer now, and that means turning the focus back to Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham, who is 22-16 after two seasons at his alma mater. Dillingham, 35, has expressed his love for Arizona State repeatedly in press conferences the last two weeks, but there is no debate here. Michigan is an upgrade in the Big Ten with more resources, better access to the CFP and a legitimate shot to compete for national championships. 

How difficult is this environment for Arizona State? Quarterback Sam Leavitt, who helped Arizona State win the Big 12 championship in 2024, reportedly will enter the transfer portal. It is a much tougher place to win long term. 

Dillingham would be more of a ground-rule double for Michigan than a home run, but given the circumstances, at least you are in scoring position. 

Dillingham worked with Dan Lanning at Oregon. Dillingham is not as proven as DeBoer, but the mechanizations of making this Power 4 coaching switch are much easier – like easy enough to materialize by the end of the weekend. If Dillingham turns down Michigan, however, then it becomes a wide-open search that could land on candidates such as Louisville's Jeff Brohm or Utah's Kyle Whittingham.

Why those names? Michigan is best suited to break away from any branch on the Harbaugh tree, which includes Washington's Jedd Fisch and Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter.

It's Dillingham-or-bust at this point because DeBoer-to-Michigan is dead.