Alabama is the second most-hated team in the country, and Kalen DeBoer does not sound the least bit surprised by it. In Tuscaloosa, that kind of ranking is less an insult than a reminder that the Crimson Tide still carry enough weight to irritate the rest of college football.

Alabama is only behind Notre Dame, based on RotoWire’s metrics, as reported by AL.com earlier this month. That’s a clear decline compared to the Nick Saban era, when Alabama was always posted at No. 1 on the most-hated program list. This time, they are No. 2, but DeBoer was quick to declare his desire.

“We want to be the first, the most hated, and then we don’t have to say or defend anything,” said DeBoer with a smile, as reported by Tide 1009.com on June 25. “There’s a realness to it, though. There’s a way of going about it. Everyone has this quiet belief: we don’t need to talk about it; we don’t need to beat our chests over anything.”

“The fanbase has the confidence and belief going forward. It’s a little different in the world we’re in, with so many new players. We aren’t the only program. All these teams have a lot of turnover, change, and new faces, so as much as it’s different, you’ve got to try to build a program, but in the meantime, you’re trying to put a team together each and every year so that you can be efficient in delivering the message,” continued the Alabama head coach.

‘DeBoer’s first season (9-4) lacked a CFP bid. His second (CFP quarterfinal loss to Indiana) showed progress. Now, in 2026, he has a chance to win the title, as Saban achieved his first national title at Alabama in his third season. Yet, there’s no comparison between these two.

However, Saban built a dynasty with six national title victories during his seventeen-year journey at Alabama. That helped the Tide to be at the top in most hated teams. DeBoer is now tasked with restoring Alabama’s championship tradition.

“We’re coaching coaches to do things; we’re coaching players because it’s what they know that matters. That’s what we’ve got to get to,” said DeBoer. “You step on the field, you’re gonna make that catch, you’re gonna make that block, and that tackle is gonna happen. Yeah, everyone’s human, but that high level of success when we walk into a stadium—you can almost feel it. You may not be there, you might not be present, but you can almost feel the Crimson Tide doing the Walk of Champions right now, and that’s the way I want it to be.”

This season, while DeBoer retained OC Ryan Grubb and DC Kane Wommack, he brought in O-line coach Adrian Klemm, WR coach Derrick Nix, and others. Then the Tide has players like Ryan Coleman-Williams, Austin Mack, Keon Sabb, and so on, so there’s a chance that if they show on-field success, they can again climb the ranking of the most hated team. Even AL.com’s Matt Stahl also echoed this sentiment.

“It’s the off-season. It’s mid-June. I am begging them to kick a ball. Hell, no! Yeah, win more games, and people hate you more, I guess. DeBoer is just less eminently hateable, I think, than Nick Saban. He’s just like not somebody you can turn into, like, an avatar for what you hate about college football.”

Does Alabama really lose a step?

While Alabama isn’t currently the most-hated team, the Crimson Tide can reclaim that status.

“My take here is that this is bad news for Alabama,” said AL.com’s Ben Flanagan. “Nobody considers Notre Dame a threat to win at all or become any sort of dynasty to threaten Alabama’s legacy. If you’re no longer the most hated program in America, I think that means you’ve lost a step.”

Kalen DeBoer already made clear his feelings regarding the Crimson Tide’s approach to becoming one of the most hated teams. And that’s nothing new for Alabama fans.

“Alabama had reached elite hated status during the Saban era, clearly the best program, one that attracts a lot of bandwagon fandom, one that people love to see lose. They hate watching more than any other team in the country. They’re trending on social media when they’re losing, when it’s a close game,” added Flanagan.

Even Nick Saban was bold regarding his perspective. “Mediocre people hate high achievers, and high achievers hate mediocre people,” said Saban during his appearance on the CBS show when he was the head coach of Alabama.

Now, DeBoer will maintain this gap between Alabama and rival programs. Their 2026 season will help us to know the actual result.