🏈 Kiffin 49ers OC frontrunner

[RTB X Bot]

 

[BAMANEWSBOT]

Saban: Kiffin is 'committed to us right now'

For Alabama fans nervous that Lane Kiffin may be one-and-done as the team's offensive coordinator, Nick Saban's comments to the media Tuesday may be encouraging ... and may also not be encouraging enough.

Speaking to the media at the Senior Bowl on Tuesday, Saban said Kiffin is "committed to us right now" but stopped short of guaranteeing his lightning rod assistant would return for a second season in Tuscaloosa.

"All of our coaches at this time of year have opportunities," Saban said, according to WIAT.com. "I think all of our guys work hard so that they can get opportunities, and if there are better opportunities that serve them better professionally, we're very supportive in our guys getting promotions and doing those types of things.

"I know [Kiffin] is committed to us right now and he's doing the best he can to help us recruit and do the things that we need to do to have a better team next year. We're hopeful that that will continue."

ESPN reported Sunday that Kiffin is "a front-runner" for the San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator's job under new coach Jim Tomsula.

Though Kiffin was a controversial choice on Saban's part to replace Doug Nussmeier as Alabama's play-caller following the 2013 season, he enjoyed a highly successful debut season in Tuscaloosa, coaching the Tide to a 14th-place finish in FBS yards per play and a 16th-place finish in scoring offense. Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper was named a Heisman Trophy finalist, and Kiffin himself was a finalist for the Broyles Award.

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[Bamabww]

Kiffin's big decision

Cecil Hurt
TideSports.com Columnist

Watching last night's State of the Union address, one obvious conclusion was that approval ratings can be fickle things.

Which leads us to Lane Kiffin.

No figure in football seems to cause more fluctuations in the affections of the fan base where he is coaching.

In some cases, most notably at Alabama last year, he isn't really wanted in the first place (at least not by anyone not named Nick Saban, also known as the Majority of One) in other instances, like at USC, he is wanted. Then he stays at a job for a while - usually not a long while - and then the fan base really wants him to go (Oakland Raiders, USC) or they really want him to stay (Tennessee, judging by the angry reaction when he bolted).

Alabama fans, having had a few weeks to digest the Sugar Bowl, want him to come back for another year to tutor another new quarterback. At least most of them seem to want that.

It's hard to think of another coach in football, especially another's assistant coach, who inspires such strong emotions.

Even in San Francisco, where he hasn't taken a job, the buzz is that he carries too much baggage from his Oakland days, although I personally think that anyone should be forgiven for whatever happened in their days with the Raiders, sort of like pardoning the convicts on Devil's Island for doing what they had to do to survive.

Nick Saban's Tuesday comments on Kiffin didn't sound like anything had been settled. If he was a recruit, rather than the offensive coordinator, he would be what the analysts call a "soft commit." The shirt says Alabama, but who knows what the hat will say on Signing Day?

As Saban said, it's up to Kiffin to decide what the best option is for himself and his family. The NFL is the NFL after all. People in college football hotbeds like Tuscaloosa or Columbus or South Bend tend to think of the college game as a better gig, but most of America feels otherwise.

The NFL, like it or not, is the big show. That doesn't mean you automatically have to go when the professional league calls.
Saban, for one, went for a couple of years, didn't seem to like it all that much, and has returned to thrive in college ball. Pete Carroll, who will be taking a team to the Super Bowl in a couple of weeks, failed at one NFL stop, came back for a great run as a college coach and now is on top with the Seahawks. Every career path is different.

I do think that his stint at Alabama has been good for Kiffin. He said the same thing in New Orleans. It took him out of the spotlight, let him do the things he is good at doing and avoid some of the things that seem to be problematic for him.

His approval rating, as noted above, is about as high it has ever been, at least since his assistant coaching days at USC. Frankly, they are higher here than they are going to be in San Francisco unless the 49ers stop their skidding in a big hurry. If he goes to work for Jim Tomsula, he is going to be a bigger name and more recognizable face than his head coach. I had to Google "Jim Tomsula." Nobody Googles Lane Kiffin.

Would that be a good thing, better than another year polishing the resume at Alabama? That's what Kiffin eventually will have to decide.
https://alabama.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1727576

 

[UAgrad93]

If he goes to work for Jim Tomsula, he is going to be a bigger name and more recognizable face than his head coach. I had to Google "Jim Tomsula." Nobody Googles Lane Kiffin.

Must say, I had to Google his name myself!!

 

[TerryP]

Must say, I had to Google his name myself!!

One time in life where phonetic spelling came in handy...

 

[Bamabww]

@uagrad93 , @TerryP, There is a big discussion / disagreement going on Tidesports about whether Layla and the kids are living on the west coast and thus the family interest for LK is there. Is that true?

One other thing that may prevent LK from leaving is the buyout clause in his contract: If LK accepts another job besides a HC job, Layla stays behind and works the sidelines during home ballgames. (start to play the Aerosmith song here..........)

There is 100% agreement with that clause on Tidesports.

 

[TerryP]

@uagrad93 , @TerryP, There is a big discussion / disagreement going on Tidesports about whether Layla and the kids are living on the west coast and thus the family interest for LK is there. Is that true?

Don't know. I will try to find out this afternoon...planning on talking to a few about something @bama alum asked the other day about Faciance/Foster.

One other thing that may prevent LK from leaving is the buyout clause in his contract: If LK accepts another job besides a HC job, Layla stays behind and works the sidelines during home ballgames. (start to play the Aerosmith song here..........)

Errr, don't you mean Eric Clapton?

 

[Bamabww]

Errr, don't you mean Eric Clapton?

That one would work but in the context I was thinking, "Dream On, Dream On....."

 

[TerryP]

Layla and kids are in Mt. Brook and Lane has a place in T-town as well.

FWIW, Tosh and Lance have been living in Jeremy Pruitt's townhouse/ condo. Lance's family didn't come back with him to Tuscaloosa.

I know what some of you see thinking about Lance's wife not coming back and yes, you're right.

@bama alum "News to me" it's all I'm getting on Foster/Faciane...first I heard about was from you.

 

[planomateo]

I know what some of you see thinking about Lance's wife not coming back and yes, you're right.

She didn't want to deal with his diabetes...

:sarc: