Lane Kiffin has indeed experienced the highs and the lows in his coaching career than most do in a lifetime, and his time with Nick Saban at Alabama was no different. Following his dismissal from the USC job, Kiffin joined Sabanʼs Crimson Tide in 2014. From the onset, the team’s odd couple was Saban, a strict coach and a free-spirited Kiffin.

Yet, despite their differences, somehow, they found a way to coexist and this led Alabama to a national championship in 2015. However, events did not go as planned and as expected; they had many uncomfortable experiences: for instance, there is that story of how Kiffin once
said to Saban’s face that he had not the slightest concept of what Saban was speaking about. Yeah, bold move, right? That Saban did not accept lightly, he called him a “narcissistic prick“ and nearly fired Kiffin. 

The tension that boiled over

Saban and Kiffin were not the best of friends off the field despite the professional synergy while coaching their teams. Sabans’s perfectionist personality and his seriousness were a cause of conflict with Kiffin who was more laid-back and sometimes even rebellious. According to a new book, “The Price: What It Takes to Win in College Football’s Era of Chaos”, a new tell-all from veteran journalists Armen Keteyian and John Talty (formerly of AL.com), set for release Aug. 27. Saban once angrily told his agent, Jimmy Sexton, that Kiffin was a “narcissistic prick” after one, particularly heated disagreement. Still, there were sparks between the two, but Saban knew how much Kiffin was useful, especially since the game started going more toward a pass-happy offense.

“Lane is a really smart guy,” Saban once said, giving credit to Kiffin for the change of Alabama’s offense. Saban and Kiffin might’ve been a power duo on paper, but their personalities were like oil and water. Saban, who’s all about discipline and doing things by the book, constantly butted heads with Kiffin, who liked to push the boundaries. It was this combustible that eventually had Kiffin informing their agent about Saban’s incoming angry call after one particular blowup. A key incident that fueled their fallout was Kiffin’s late arrival at a team meeting during the 2016 College Football Playoff prep, which left Saban “fuming.”  

Lane Kiffin vs Nick Saban: the showdown continues

Both of them had enough and finally, their cooperation was dissolved in a rather dramatic way just before the 2017 national championship. Saban decided it was time to cut ties. Kiffin moved on to Ole Miss, taking with him the lessons and, let’s be honest, some battle scars from his time under Saban. This is still evident in the fact that Kiffin continues to have a working relationship with Saban, while at the same time devising ways through which he is going to beat him.

Now Kiffin is at Ole Miss, where he has attempted twice to unseat Saban’s Alabama, but was unsuccessful on both occasions. But do not consider him out of the running yet. Some of Jarrett’s former Saban assistants such as Jimbo Fisher and Kirby Smart finally tasted the sweetness of installing their dynasty beating the mighty Alabama and Kiffin feels ready and eager to do the same. Saban might have kept him on the hot seat during his time under him but it had quite a lot to do with making him the coach that he is today. And as long as these two are playing in the SEC, their tale is still being written. And whether they are on the same side of the barricade, or the different sides of the football field, Saban and Kiffin will always hit the headlines.