'A Special Coach': Ole Miss Lane Kiffin Praises Nick Saban's Long-Term Impact
The two men will meet on the gridiron once a season, each hoping to walk away victorious in an under-the-radar rivalry. Regardless of the outcome, Ole Miss' Lane Kiffin has never forgotten to thank Alabama's Nick Saban for what he's done for his overall career.
Kiffin, who enters his third season with the Rebels, often has been in the corner of the Crimson Tide coach in conversations of his status among all-time greats. Most recently, Kiffin made headlines for his comments defending Saban in the feud with Texas A&M's Jimbo Fisher on the Aggies' top recruiting class thanks to NIL factors.
Monday was a new location, but the same attitude toward his former boss and his lasting impact on the sport.
"I would doubt that there's ever been a coach in any sport, college or professional that has had so many people under him that are at major jobs," Kiffin said Monday at SEC Media Days. "I mean, you're talking about top 25 jobs and I don't know if you've even counted five or six others."
Saban, who's entering his 16th season with the Tide, continues to send coaches from the "Saban Coaching Clinic" back to other programs as head coaches. Kiffin is one of the more polarizing names due to his outlandish and sarcastic demeanor, but not the only one at a major institution.
Like Kiffin, Fisher served as Saban's offensive coordinator during the 2003 national title season at LSU before leaving for Florida State. He joined the Aggies in 2018 after winning a title in Tallahassee with Heisman winner Jameis Winston. Last season, Fisher became the first assistant to defeat Saban in 41-38 upset at Kyle Field in October.
Kirby Smart, who served with Kiffin as the Tide's defensive coordinator, became the second assistant to defeat Saban in 31-18 victory last January for the national title. Since arriving in Athens, Smart has posted a 66-15 record with five consecutive finishes inside the top 10 rankings.
Mike Locksley, who replaced current New York Giants' coach Brian Daboll as offensive coordinator in 2018, was named head coach at Maryland in 2019. Most recently, 2020 offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian was named head coach at Texas after helping Alabama set school records on the way to a national title victory over Ohio State.
Other coaches weren't coordinators under Saban, but since have become head coaches with different schools. Mario Cristobal served as Oregon's coach from 2017-21 before taking the Miami job this offseason. Billy Napier (Florida), Mel Tucker (Michigan State), Geoff Collins (Georgia Tech), Curt Cignetti (James Madison) and Butch Jones (Arkansas State) all were members of Alabama's staff before receiving opportunities elsewhere.
"It really is amazing, not just for someone to produce coaches that people hire because they're trying to get the [same] Alabama program, but for those to have success and to be at major places speaks volumes of how phenomenal of how coach [Saban] is," Kiffin said.
Kiffin said that every coach takes something away from working with the seven-time national title winner, but there's a difference between offensive and defensive coaches. Saban has continued to run a similar defense regardless of his coordinator since the early 2010s, meaning when coaches depart, they often bring a similar defensive look to their next school.
For offenses, it's a tad different. According to Kiffin, Saban has been willing to take the input of his offensive coordinators on certain personnels and concepts, allowing them to implement different formations when finally hired as a program's head coach.
"The program will look a little different because they each have their own offensive flare they end up running," Kiffin said. "I'm sure everybody takes his organization, his commitment to the program and tries to model his discipline that he has within that."
The Rebels will host Alabama at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on Nov. 12.
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