Stephen A. Smith expressed strong criticism regarding Kalen DeBoer’s performance as the Alabama Crimson Tide head football coach, stating his belief that DeBoer is not suited for the role. Instead, Smith suggested that Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders would be a better fit for the position, despite Sanders’ 13-12 record in the Power 4 conferences.
Smith spoke with Paul Finebaum on ESPN’s “First Take,” where he outlined his views on the coaching situation at Alabama. “I wouldn’t mind at all if Alabama changed course and brought in someone like (Deion) ‘Prime Time’ (Sanders) to Alabama (…)” Smith said. “(…) That would’ve been spectacular. I think it is something they should still consider down the line if this season is a repeat of last season. You can’t have somebody that brings a finesse-style of game to Alabama. That’s meat and potatoes, y’all. Just imagine if he were in Tuscaloosa. What if, instead of DeBoer, it was him coaching Alabama? … What if Florida State (of the ACC) had gone with him, not saying their coach didn’t do a damn good job a couple of years back. My goodness, that’s where he wanted to go. He desperately wanted to go back to Florida State, but they didn’t want him. I know this for a fact because I was on the phone with him when it was all going down.” The remarks were first reported by AL.com.
The discussion referenced recent speculation about Sanders’ future coaching prospects and past predictions from former University of Colorado Boulder quarterback Joel Klatt regarding Auburn University’s interest in Sanders before hiring Hugh Freeze as head football coach.
The report noted that other universities such as South Florida also considered Sanders for their football programs but ultimately did not extend offers.
Smith concluded by indicating that despite Sanders’ recent 4-8 season with Colorado, he believes Sanders could bring valuable qualities to the Alabama program, particularly with talent such as Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter potentially complementing Alabama’s existing roster.
It remains to be seen how DeBoer and his staff will respond moving forward.
