Alabama Ditches Lane Kiffin One Week Before Championship Game

“We appreciate all that Lane has done for our football program over the last three years”, Alabama head coach Nick Saban said in the same release. “He would give us the best chance to win because 100 percent of the day his mind would be on the game”, Kiffin said. Obviously, we are in a unique situation here where we have our next offensive coordinator already on staff.

Kiffin’s tenure at Alabama was overall a success, though it seemed like the seams would bust out at some point.

Which is unacceptable to Saban and his team, like losses to Ohio State in the 2014 College Football semifinals and to Ole Miss in 2015 after which the Tide responded with past year with 12 straight wins including a 45-40 victory over Clemson in CFP championship game. And of course, Kiffin took the door.

There have been rumors all season that Kiffin had worn out his welcome at Alabama. We have to do one more. The Crimson Tide gained 326 yards, more than half of which came from Bo Scarbrough, who ran for 180 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries.

The idea that the Crimson Tide offense will be able to seamlessly transition from Kiffin to Steve Sarkisian is unlikely, especially on such short notice. And this latest move, departing a week before Alabama faces Clemson in national championship game rematch, might just be his masterpiece.

Lane Kiffin’s early dismissal as Alabama offensive coordinator is just another chapter of weird and ugly exits for the new FAU head coach. He has shown poise throughout the season, even when struggling.

Kiffin agreed. That’s why he tried to talk Sarkisian into coming to ‘Bama in the first place. Anybody who was an Alabama fan (including myself) knew the Tide didn’t look right on offense. “If there’s some time at night to make some recruiting calls or do an interview, we’ll work around it”, Kiffin said. He’s also been credited for the development of Hurts this season. Both men deny any acrimony between the two, and reports that Kiffin would not be allowed to return to Tuscaloosa next year have been disputed.

Kirby Smart’s exit from Alabama almost costed them the Clemson game.

In that same postgame interview, Kiffin was asked how he would manage his time between the Peach Bowl and the national title game.

“I just felt Sark and I are so similar”.

Over the years, Alabama Coach Nick Saban has lost coaches to new jobs, notably coordinators leaving his staff to become a head coach elsewhere. Because what would have happened? They need to recruit in a Florida that will be tougher to compete in than ever. Kiffin will call plays for that game. So much so that Saban thought it was fit to relieve him of his duties. Keep in mind that prior to his arrival, the Crimson Tide offense had stalled and Saban hired him for the sole goal of completely remaking it. Kiffin not only fulfilled those duties, but did it with an incredible degree of difficulty.