If you walk into any sports bar from Mobile to Huntsville, you're going to hear it. The debate about "The Process" versus the "Bear" era is a literal pastime in this state. Honestly, looking at the Alabama football record by year is less like reading a spreadsheet and more like looking at the heartbeat of a culture. You’ve got these massive spikes of dominance followed by weird, head-scratching lulls where the Crimson Tide seemed, well, human.
Most folks focus on the Nick Saban years because they're fresh and, frankly, statistically insane. But Alabama’s history didn't start in 2007. It started in 1892 with a 2-2 record and a team of guys who probably didn't even have matching helmets. Since then, the program has piled up nearly 1,000 wins, but the road there was anything but a straight line.
The Modern Era: From Saban’s Dynasty to the DeBoer Transition
Let's talk about what just happened. We are currently in 2026, and the post-Saban landscape is still settling. When Kalen DeBoer took over in 2024, the pressure was essentially impossible. You’re following a guy who won six national titles in Tuscaloosa.
In 2024, Alabama went 9-4. For most schools, a 9-win season is a "build a statue for the coach" year. At Bama? It was the worst record since Saban's first year back in 2007. They lost to Michigan in the ReliaQuest Bowl 19-13. People were genuinely panicking.
Then came 2025.
The Tide bounced back, finishing 11-4. It was a wild year. They made the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff despite having three losses—the first time a non-conference champion with that many scars made the cut. They beat Oklahoma 34-24 in the first round but then got absolutely mauled by Indiana in the Rose Bowl, 38-3.
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If you look at the Saban years (2007–2023), the consistency is almost boring.
Between 2008 and 2023, the team only missed the 10-win mark once. That was the 2007 transition year. After that, it was 12, 14, 10, 12, 13... you get the point.
The Bear Bryant Years: Building the Standard
Before Nick Saban was even a defensive coordinator, Paul "Bear" Bryant was the undisputed king. He took over in 1958 and basically dragged the program into the modern age.
- 1961: 11-0 (National Champions)
- 1964: 10-1 (National Champions)
- 1965: 9-1-1 (National Champions)
- 1966: 11-0 (The "snub" year—finished #3 despite being the only undefeated team)
Bryant’s records in the 70s were even more ridiculous. From 1971 to 1979, the team won at least 10 games every single year. They finished the decade with back-to-back national titles in '78 and '79.
But it wasn't always sunshine. The late 60s were kind of a slog for Bryant. In 1969 and 1970, the team went 6-5 and 6-5-1. People actually thought the game had passed him by. Then he switched to the Wishbone offense, and the rest is history.
The Dark Ages: The Years Bama Fans Want to Forget
There is a period in the late 90s and early 2000s that honestly feels like a fever dream. After Gene Stallings retired in 1996 (following a very respectable 10-3 season), things got messy.
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Take 1997. Mike DuBose led the team to a 4-7 record.
In 2000, they went 3-8. Imagine that. Alabama losing eight games in a single season.
Then you had the Mike Shula era. In 2003, they went 4-9.
The Alabama football record by year during this stretch is a mess of NCAA probations, vacated wins, and coaching carousels. It makes the current "struggles" under DeBoer look like a vacation.
Every Season Since 1990: A Snapshot
| Year | Record | Postseason | Head Coach |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 11-4 | Rose Bowl (L) | Kalen DeBoer |
| 2024 | 9-4 | ReliaQuest Bowl (L) | Kalen DeBoer |
| 2023 | 12-2 | Rose Bowl (L) | Nick Saban |
| 2022 | 11-2 | Sugar Bowl (W) | Nick Saban |
| 2021 | 13-2 | CFP Title Game (L) | Nick Saban |
| 2020 | 13-0 | National Champions | Nick Saban |
| 2019 | 11-2 | Citrus Bowl (W) | Nick Saban |
| 2018 | 14-1 | CFP Title Game (L) | Nick Saban |
| 2017 | 13-1 | National Champions | Nick Saban |
| 2016 | 14-1 | CFP Title Game (L) | Nick Saban |
| 2015 | 14-1 | National Champions | Nick Saban |
| 2014 | 12-2 | Sugar Bowl (L) | Nick Saban |
| 2013 | 11-2 | Sugar Bowl (L) | Nick Saban |
| 2012 | 13-1 | National Champions | Nick Saban |
| 2011 | 12-1 | National Champions | Nick Saban |
| 2010 | 10-3 | Capital One Bowl (W) | Nick Saban |
| 2009 | 14-0 | National Champions | Nick Saban |
| 2008 | 12-2 | Sugar Bowl (L) | Nick Saban |
| 2007 | 7-6 | Independence Bowl (W) | Nick Saban |
| 2006 | 6-7 | Independence Bowl (L) | Mike Shula |
| 2005 | 10-2 | Cotton Bowl (W) | Mike Shula |
| 2004 | 6-6 | Music City Bowl (L) | Mike Shula |
| 2003 | 4-9 | None | Mike Shula |
| 2002 | 10-3 | None (Ineligible) | Dennis Franchione |
| 2001 | 7-5 | Independence Bowl (W) | Dennis Franchione |
| 2000 | 3-8 | None | Mike DuBose |
| 1999 | 10-3 | Orange Bowl (L) | Mike DuBose |
| 1998 | 7-5 | Music City Bowl (L) | Mike DuBose |
| 1997 | 4-7 | None | Mike DuBose |
| 1996 | 10-3 | Outback Bowl (W) | Gene Stallings |
| 1995 | 8-3 | None (Ineligible) | Gene Stallings |
| 1994 | 12-1 | Citrus Bowl (W) | Gene Stallings |
| 1993 | 9-3-1 | Gator Bowl (W) | Gene Stallings |
| 1992 | 13-0 | National Champions | Gene Stallings |
| 1991 | 11-1 | Blockbuster Bowl (W) | Gene Stallings |
| 1990 | 7-5 | Fiesta Bowl (L) | Gene Stallings |
What most people get wrong about the records
There is a big misconception about "vacated wins." If you look at the 2005 season, the official record might say 0-2 because the NCAA stripped wins due to textbook violations. But if you were in the stands, you saw them win 10 games.
Also, the "claimed" national titles are a source of endless Twitter fights. Alabama claims 18. Some selectors recognize 1941, which is... controversial, to say the least (they finished 3rd in the SEC that year). On the flip side, they don't officially claim 1966, even though they were the only undefeated team. Basically, the record book in Tuscaloosa is a living, breathing document that doesn't always align with what the NCAA says.
Why the win-loss column still matters
Alabama is currently sitting at 999 wins all-time as we head into the 2026 season. Think about that. One more win and they hit the 1,000-mark. Only a few programs like Michigan and Ohio State are in that neighborhood.
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The records aren't just about bragging rights; they're about the "Standard." Every time a new coach like DeBoer steps in, he isn't just coaching against the opponent on the field. He’s coaching against the ghosts of 1925, 1961, 1979, and 2020.
If you're trying to make sense of where the program is headed, don't just look at the last two years. Look at the patterns. Alabama tends to have a "reset" period after a legendary coach leaves. It happened after Wallace Wade. It happened after Frank Thomas. It definitely happened after Bear Bryant.
We are currently in the Saban-reset.
History says they’ll find their footing again. Whether that’s under DeBoer or the next guy, the Alabama football record by year suggests that double-digit wins are the gravitational pull of this program. It might drift away for a second, but it always comes back.
To stay ahead of the next season, you should track the recruiting rankings alongside these win-loss records; the correlation in Tuscaloosa is almost 1:1. Check the official NCAA record book for "Adjusted Records" versus "On-field Records" to see how sanctions have historically shaped the program's official standing.