He will poke fun at Nick Saban from time to time, but Alabama fans believe Lane Kiffin is seriously taking his audition to be the next Crimson Tide head coach when Saban retires.
Kiffin, head coach of Ole Miss, has the Rebels (10-2) in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl against Penn State. He appeared on ESPN’s College GameDay before the matchup, giving his prediction for the Rose Bowl matchup between Alabama and Michigan.
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The 48-year-old served as Alabama’s offensive coordinator from 2014 to 2016. Saban gave Kiffin a chance to reinvent himself in the coaching world when no one else did.
Kiffin seized the opportunity and helped the Crimson Tide win three Southeastern Conference Championships (2014-16) and a College Football Playoff National Championship in 2015.
His coaching style produced two 3,000-yard quarterbacks (Blake Sims, Jacob Coker), two 1,000-yard wide receivers (Amari Cooper, Calvin Ridley), and a 2,000-yard running back (Derrick Henry). Kiffin helped the Tide crown Derrick Henry as a Heisman Trophy winner in 2015.
Saban did a lot to help Kiffin get back to the SEC as a head coach. In making his Rose Bowl prediction, Kiffin gave a “Roll Tide” to the camera — signifying his belief in the Crimson Tide over the Wolverines.
“Well I wasn’t ready for that question. … Roll Tide.” 😅
—Lane Kiffin #CollegeGameDay pic.twitter.com/QFpTtixiDW
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) December 30, 2023
Both schools will battle next Monday at Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif.
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Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
