For the record, I am
not advocating showing Coach DeBoer the door.
That said, here are
the figures:
"If DeBoer is fired 'without cause,' he would earn 90% of his remaining deal in monthly installments
through the end of his contract term. He's currently eight months into the second year of his deal, which would mean his buyout if he's fired during the regular season is just about $63 million (90% of the remaining amount). If he's fired on Dec. 1, 2025, it would be approximately $60 million."
First, well done Jimmy Sexton at representing your clients.
Second, the structure of that (90% of salary in monthly installments even if fired) means two things:
1. You do not save a lot of money depending on when you let the guy go. It is not $50 million today and $20 million October 1st). It seems like a glide path to zero. When coach gets to 50% of his contract remaining, his buyout is 50%. At 25% of the contract, 25% of the buyout.
2. Second, only someone with an inside look at the finances of the program can make that determination as to what Alabama can pay.
At some point you start working your way down a list of bad options. If this lackadaisical play on the field continues, good players will seek greener pastures, losses pile up, more players leave. 7-5 this year, 6-6 next 4-8 in 2027 (for the sake of argument). If you save the buyout by simply not renewing the contract, players know there will be a coaching change so they do not come at all.
If you let a coach go too early, then you are paying multiple head coaches (like UTe and the Barn were doing when they were on the head coach roller coaster).
Like I said above, "Working our way down a list of bad options."
In conclusion, I am
not advocating firing coach DeBoer. Not yet.