Nick Saban reacts to idea of Kalen DeBoer being on hot seat at Alabama

Nick Saban didn’t react much when Pat McAfee suggested Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer could be on the hot seat already. Following a Week 1 loss to Florida State, things aren’t all good down in Tuscaloosa.

First, Kirk Herbstreit asked Saban about how he would deal with players and managing outside noise. Saban would pull guys in one on one to try and get everyone’s mental thinking in the right spot.

That’s when McAfee asked Saban if he pulled in DeBoer one on one following the opening day loss. Remember, Saban still has an office and presence at Alabama, despite working for ESPN’s College GameDay.

“He wants to do well, and he’s gonna do everything he can to do well,” Saban said in response, after smiling and shaking his head. “We’re gonna support him to do that.”

“They’re getting restless,” McAfee said . “Coach DeBoer, I love ya, you’ve won everywhere but it is a hot seat down there.”

It’s true, DeBoer has won everywhere coming into Alabama. He recently led Washington to the College Football Playoff National Championship, but Alabama in Year 2 is a different animal.

Earlier this week, DeBoer sent a message to Alabama boosters and fans as to why he can turn things around. He’s only 5-5 in his last 10 games, including multiple losses to unranked opponents.

“My message is that our team is … I think we’ve got a really good football, I think we have a good football team that can do some big things still this year,” DeBoer said Wednesday. “But we’ve got to prove it and we’ve got go do it. To this point, it’s been just me being able to focus on football, and I appreciate that.”

Following last Saturday’s 31-17 season-opening loss at an unranked Florida State, which jumped into the Top 20 in both the AP and Coaches polls Tuesday, the Crimson Tide dropped from No. 8 to No. 20 and 21 in the Coaches and AP polls, respectively. Alabama returns to Tuscaloosa in Week 2 against Louisiana-Monroe (7:45 pm ET, Saturday).

Despite DeBoer’s ability to simply “focus on football,” many of Alabama’s biggest boosters and notable alumni such as former quarterbacks Greg McElroy and AJ McCarron have been extremely critical of the product Nick Saban‘s successor has put on the field the past two seasons.