Alabama Football News

Where CBS Sports experts rank Kalen DeBoer among top power 4 coaches ahead of 2026 season

by
Justin Smith
May 27, 2026

Oct 26, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer walks along the field during warmups before a game against the Missouri Tigers at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Will McLelland-Imagn Images

CBS Sports experts took a shot at ranking the top power four college football coaches ahead of the 2026 football season.

Alabama football’s head coach Kalen DeBoer came in at No. 8. Indiana’s Curt Cignetti was listed at No. 1. Kirby Smart at No. 2, Ryan Day at No. 3, Marcus Freeman at No. 4, Dan Lanning at No. 5, Steve Sarkisian at No. 6 and Mario Cristobal at No. 7 round out the coaches ranked higher than DeBoer.

2026 Power Four Coach Rankings 🚨

Who do you think should be higher?

1-25 🔗 https://t.co/kIPhcTADyw

26-68 🔗 https://t.co/TAK4W5uOmF pic.twitter.com/svMQ9LZGFy

— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) May 27, 2026

Alabama football is 20-8 with Kalen DeBoer as its head coach. He is slated to be in Tuscaloosa for years to come after recently agreeing to a contract extension. He will get paid $12.5 million annually under the extension.

DeBoer led the Tide to the College Football Playoff last season. The Tide went on to pick up a win over Oklahoma in the first round of the playoff before getting eliminated by Indiana in the Rose Bowl.

Justin Smith( Managing Editor, Director of Recruiting )

Justin Smith is the Managing Editor and Lead Writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine with over 10 years of writing experience & expertise. Smith has consistently delivered high quality, extensively researched information on the University of Alabama’s Crimson Tide football team that fans can trust. Smith is official credentialed media with the University of Alabama under Touchdown Alabama Magazine. He is also the Director of Recruiting for Touchdown Enterprises, specializing in scouting and analyzing high school recruits around the nation, specifically focusing on recruits within the state of Alabama.