SEC Media Days 2024: Lane Kiffin didn't hold back when talking about Nick Saban's "huge" impact that changed his life forever
In a Media Days 2024 press conference on Tuesday, Ole Miss Rebels coach Lane Kiffin was asked about the impact former Alabama Crimson Tide HC Nick Saban had on his life. Kiffin didn’t hesitate and accepted that it was “huge." In his own words:
“Wow, it was huge I mean I mentioned it in there and seeing him today and obviously in different roles and everything but you know he came in and after I had the first initial media, I was back there and he came and found me and it was really cool.”
Kiffin, who began his coaching career as a student assistant at Fresno State, was fired from two of his three coaching positions when he was 38. Kiffin appreciated Saban for taking a chance on him when other teams refused to hire him. However, Saban intervened and offered him the role of offensive coordinator on his staff at Alabama, where Kiffin stayed until 2016 before joining Florida Atlanta as a head coach.
“I'm very appreciative to him those three years and really him taking a chance on me. What did I learn when I got there, which is all over our program, whether that's coaches hired former players, process over outcome, all kinds of things but the opportunity that he gave me to come there, I wouldn't feel like a lot of people would, it was controversial.”
Lane Kiffin praised Saban for his openness to evolving and taking risks, which set him apart from other old-school coaches. He pointed out that Saban's adaptability, especially his willingness to change offensive strategies, has been a key factor in his sustained success in college football.
Nick Saban supports Lane Kiffin amid personal loss
Lane Kiffin attended the SEC Media Days for Ole Miss despite still grieving the recent loss of his father, Monte Kiffin. Nick Saban reached out to offer support to Kiffin, who shared on the "Paul Finebaum Show" how Saban, despite not texting often, made an effort to check on him:
“He’s been amazing. He texted this week, going out of his way, and we know that he doesn’t text very often or that he doesn’t know how to text very well. Every time I see him since I’ve left from there, I tell him how much I appreciate him.”
Monte Kiffin, who passed away on July 11 at the age of 84, was the longest-tenured coach in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers history.