Former Alabama coach Nick Saban is very optimistic about Ole Miss this season as a College Football Playoff contender and praises his former offensive coordinator, Rebels coach Lane Kiffin, for reshaping his recruiting approach to keep his program competitive at a championship level. This praise contrasts sharply with the challenging working relationship Saban had with Kiffin during their time together in Tuscaloosa.
An excerpt from “The Price: What It Takes to Win In College Football’s Era of Chaos,” an investigative book by Armen Keteyian and 247Sports national college football reporter John Talty, reveals that Saban was encouraged by his agent, Jimmy Sexton, to hire Kiffin while at Alabama.
“That son of a (expletive),” Saban reportedly told Sexton, according to the book. “I’m going to fire you, Jimmy, for ever talking me into hiring that narcissistic prick.”
Saban denied the viral quote from the book, which is set to be released on August 27
“I’ve never made a quote about Lane Kiffin, so it wasn’t from me,” Saban said Friday on ‘The Pat McAfee Show’ from a pub in Ireland. “Ole Miss is going to be good. They’re going to look like a big-time program up front, which has always been their issue. They lost to us and Georgia last year because they couldn’t match up up front. Skill-wise, quarterback-wise, they can match up with anybody. Now, they’ve brought in some guys through the portal to strengthen the offensive and defensive lines, which is going to make them very dangerous.
“Lane is one of the best play-callers in the country. He did a great job for us when he was with us, and he’s a guy who always knows what to call next. He can exploit a defense as well as anybody.”
Kiffin has often credited Saban with advancing his coaching career. Less than four months after his notorious firing from USC at Los Angeles International Airport, Saban chose Kiffin as Alabama’s offensive coordinator for the 2014 season. Kiffin quickly built some of the most formidable units in college football, became a finalist for the Broyles Award as an elite assistant coach, and eventually returned to the head coaching ranks at Florida Atlantic.
“His career is amazing, and I’m just blessed for the opportunity that he gave me,” Kiffin said earlier this year on SportsCenter. “I wouldn’t be here today without him. He took a chance on me and really opened a lot of doors from there. I was able to meet a lot of amazing people—players, coaches—throughout those three years. I’m really grateful for him.”
Although their time together at Alabama included occasional clashes, Kiffin and Saban built strong rosters, coached in two national championship games, and secured the 2015 College Football Playoff title. During his tenure, Kiffin worked closely with Jalen Hurts and other standout Crimson Tide quarterbacks, helping to develop former starter Jake Coker into a national championship-winning QB.
Kiffin has yet to defeat Saban in their four matchups between Ole Miss and Alabama, but they’ve produced memorable games, such as the 63-48 shootout in 2020 where the Rebels challenged the No. 2 Crimson Tide and the tightly contested one-score game in 2022 between SEC West rivals.
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