Alabama announced this week that former offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin will not be with the team for the College Football National Championship Game, but Kiffin insists that does not mean his relationship with the program has ended. You wouldn’t know that by listening to Nick Saban.
On Tuesday morning, Kiffin told ESPN’s “Mike and Mike in the Morning” that he has still been watching film and coming up with ideas to help the Crimson Tide prepare for Clemson. He also said he is hoping to be in the press box for the title game, essentially switching roles with new offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian.
“We do not know legally whether we can do that,” Kiffin said, as transcribed by Charlie Potter of 247Sports.com. “Sidelines for sure would not, but the press box would be ideal because that would exchange Sark and I what his role was and then what my role was. Then he can come down to the field and coach the players.”
Has Kiffin discussed that idea with Saban? It sure doesn’t sound like it.
Nick Saban said Lane Kiffin will not be part of team going forward: “That’s not something we’re interested in pursuing"
— Brett McMurphy (@McMurphyESPN) January 3, 2017
Lane Kiffin said Bama looking into having him at game in sideline or press box. Nick Saban said “that’s not something we’re interested in"
— Brett McMurphy (@McMurphyESPN) January 3, 2017
Kiffin wants to make it seem like the only reason he chose to leave now is that he feels guilty about having to focus some time on his new head coaching job at FAU. But if that were the case, he would have made that decision before the College Football Playoff began.
The more likely reason for the early divorce is that Saban didn’t like the game plan Kiffin rolled out against Washington. Kiffin continued to call pass plays despite running back Bo Scarbrough dominating the Huskies, and that had to have irritated Saban. Plus, there are a bunch of other factors that have been building for months that eventually led us here.
Kiffin may not have technically been fired, but it sure seems like he was told to leave.
