Alabama Head Coach Kalen DeBoer Shuts Down Any Rumors of Him Leaving for Penn State

ATLANTA, Ga. - Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer took to the lectern on Thursday in Atlanta, Georgia, as the Crimson Tide prepares for Saturday's pivotal SEC Championship game against the Georgia Bulldogs. During head coach Kalen DeBoer's 30-minute press conference, he was asked about the supposed interest he had in the Penn State head coaching search, which is still ongoing after the Nittany Lions fired head coach James Franklin on October 12 after losing to Northwestern.

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"Yeah, we're extremely happy at Alabama. This is the first time I've been asked. I appreciate you, Charlie. We're extremely happy here," DeBoer said on Thursday. "Love the challenge, love the grind, love this place.

"There's never been any link, there's never been any conversation, there's never been any interest either way. I'm glad we can put that to bed right now."

DeBoer used the word "never" three times in his answer, shutting down anymore rumors of him leaving for Penn State. DeBoer was linked to Penn State in November after Penn State reporter Jon Sauber linked the Crimson Tide's head coach to the Nittany Lions in an interview with Ryan Fowler.

In his interview, Sauber said that if Alabama lost the Iron Bowl or missed out on the playoffs for the second consecutive season, things could get "uncomfortable enough" that both DeBoer and the Alabama administration decided to "move forward and go from there."

After Alabama's victory in the Iron Bowl, the Crimson Tide clinched a spot in the SEC Championship game and moved up to No. 9 in the College Football Playoff Committee's rankings, all but sealing Alabama's spot in the playoffs barring a "significant loss" in the SEC title game.

Alabama will face Georgia in the SEC Championship on Saturday, December 6, at 4:00 p.m. ET. Our coverage of the SEC Championship is brought to you by Pearl River Resort and the Sportsbook at Golden Moon Casino.

Wyatt Fulton is the Tide 100.9 DME and Brand Manager, primarily covering Alabama Crimson Tide football and men's basketball. For more Crimson Tide coverage, follow Wyatt on X (Formerly known as Twitter) at @FultonW_.