One of the most challenging battles some coaches in the Power 4 quietly face is alcohol. Many deal with it privately, but LSU head coach Lane Kiffin is no different. Now five years sober, Kiffin is open about his journey. He freely talks about how making that choice has transformed his life.

On February 11, Lane Kiffin hopped onto X and shared a powerful visual perspective of what sobriety looks like on his X:

The video’s original message, “You are always one decision away from a different life.” He shared an inspirational video of a fish jumping from a tiny, murky puddle into the vast ocean, using it as a simple metaphor for sobriety, with the caption: “Getting sober is like.”

For Kiffin, who has been sober since 2020, the “leap” represents the one big decision to leave behind a stagnant, unhealthy environment for a life of freedom and clarity. The post essentially emphasises that while the change can be complex. But it leads to a completely different and better life for oneself and others.

Only last week or so, Lane Kiffin celebrated five years of sobriety. The reason for the change is that he is simply too tired of digging. He realized that while he was doing great at work as he wasn’t fully present at home for his kids because he felt he needed a few drinks to wind down every night.

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What began as a simple 2020 “cleanse diet” to cut out red meat, bread, and booze turned into a total life transformation. Kiffin spoke a lot about “emotional sobriety,” which for him means staying calm and clear-headed instead of letting the massive stress of coaching cause huge emotional swings. He’s swapped late-night drinks for healthy routines like hot yoga and early morning workouts to keep his mind right.

His family has been his biggest motivation, especially his daughter, Landry. For a past anniversary, she gave him a heartwarming gift featuring an AA chip and a picture of the night sky from the date he started his journey, labeled “the night you found your way”. He’s been very open about his story on social media and podcasts to show others that they don’t have to stay stuck in a cycle of digging themselves into a hole.

Lane Kiffin isn’t the only major figure in the college football world to go public with a sobriety story.

The coaches who are in their sobriety

Steve Sarkisian, Texas head coach, had a public low in 2015 when fired from USC for intoxication at events. He went to rehab, rebuilt his career under Nick Saban, and is now nearly 13 years sober. He openly shares his past with players to encourage vulnerability and help-seeking.

Then there’s Scott Cochran, the legendary “juice guy” known for his wild energy at Alabama and also at Georgia. His story is a bit different because it started with painkillers for migraines but spiraled into a life-threatening addiction to opioids and fentanyl.

After a near-fatal overdose in 2020 and a few relapses, he’s now two years sober as of early 2026 and is the head coach at the University of West Alabama. He even started a nonprofit, the American Addiction Recovery Association, to help others find their way out of the shame cycle.

All these guys have one thing in common: they didn’t do it alone. They often credit Nick Saban as a huge part of their recovery because he gave coaches a second chance when no one else would. Another reason for us to love Nick Saban.