On Tuesday's "First Take," ESPN's Paul Finebaum questioned whether Kalen DeBoer was a good fit to lead the University of Alabama football program.
As part of a segment debating who was under the most pressure between new LSU football coach Lane Kiffin and DeBoer, Finebaum described DeBoer as an "excellent coach" but asked if he was "the right coach at Alabama." The ESPN radio host said the Crimson Tide coach had made a "mess" out of what Nick Saban had built before retiring.
"Kalen DeBoer has just made a mess out of a great situation," Finebaum argued. "He's lost eight games in two years."
"[H]e lost to Florida State last year, which was total trash, and should have fired its coach. He lost to Oklahoma at home. Yeah, he won a playoff game. He also was down 17. Oklahoma had a 17-0 lead and completely choked the game away," he added. "But let's not get carried away with DeBoer. He's an excellent coach, but is he the right coach at Alabama?"
After the Tide fell to eventual national champion Indiana 38-3 in the Rose Bowl last year, Finebaum slammed DeBoer and his team, saying they looked "soft," a stark contrast to how Saban-led Alabama teams looked.
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