🏈 Kiffin Is Out

True enough. But that's what was bothering me Saturday afternoon. It all feels a little like the roll of the dice, but the next game is a biggie.
Sure is man, the timing on this is enough to make us Bama Fans go stark raving mad, and there is more to this Kiffin deal obviously, and we will probably never find out unless Kiffin goes full crazy and talks. We have started out slowly this year most every game, and probably will against Clemson, but I feel pretty confident we will get it fixed in time and give Clemson problems because of a different play caller and the Defense will still lay the wood. Monday is gonna be a crazy day for us for sure.
 
I think we can all agree that Alabama's offensive performance during the Peach Bowl was less than optimal. Was this because of Washington? The game plan? The players? A combination? I don't think any of us know how complicated doing two 24-hour jobs can be. IMO, it impacted Kiffin and despite his best effort, he wasn't able to devote the time to either program that he would like. It's not fair for Saban to demand that Kiffin ignore his new school so the only other option is for Sark to take over. Is this a big deal? Yes and no. Sark has been here for most of the year so he knows how practice works, knows the players, and knows the offense. Sark's communication with the signal communicators on the field will be key but is something that can be worked on all week. Sark has been on the headset all year and he knows the flow. Kiffin wants Alabama to do well. If Alabama wins, it still reflects well on Kiffin. If Alabama loses, it will reflect more on Sark than on Kiffin.

As I mentioned earlier, this change will impact Clemson since they won't know what Sark's tendencies are. Based on the performance in the Peach Bowl, what would you guess will be the emphasis by Alabama in the CFPCG? Will Alabama emphasize the run? Emphasize the pass since it's an obvious area to work on during the week? Will Alabama pass to set up the run or run to set up the pass? Nobody from Clemson knows and therefore they will have to work on everything (which means that whatever direction Sark takes the offense will not get an emphasis by Clemson).

I know some of you are saying good riddance to Kiffin. Me? I'm wishing him the best of luck at FAU and thanking him for his efforts. It's not easy working for Saban and I'm sure there were some moments of stress behind the scenes. I believe Kiffin handled it well and Alabama's record reflects that. Good luck Lane!
 
I think we can all agree that Alabama's offensive performance during the Peach Bowl was less than optimal. Was this because of Washington? The game plan? The players? A combination? I don't think any of us know how complicated doing two 24-hour jobs can be. IMO, it impacted Kiffin and despite his best effort, he wasn't able to devote the time to either program that he would like. It's not fair for Saban to demand that Kiffin ignore his new school so the only other option is for Sark to take over. Is this a big deal? Yes and no. Sark has been here for most of the year so he knows how practice works, knows the players, and knows the offense. Sark's communication with the signal communicators on the field will be key but is something that can be worked on all week. Sark has been on the headset all year and he knows the flow. Kiffin wants Alabama to do well. If Alabama wins, it still reflects well on Kiffin. If Alabama loses, it will reflect more on Sark than on Kiffin.

As I mentioned earlier, this change will impact Clemson since they won't know what Sark's tendencies are. Based on the performance in the Peach Bowl, what would you guess will be the emphasis by Alabama in the CFPCG? Will Alabama emphasize the run? Emphasize the pass since it's an obvious area to work on during the week? Will Alabama pass to set up the run or run to set up the pass? Nobody from Clemson knows and therefore they will have to work on everything (which means that whatever direction Sark takes the offense will not get an emphasis by Clemson).

I know some of you are saying good riddance to Kiffin. Me? I'm wishing him the best of luck at FAU and thanking him for his efforts. It's not easy working for Saban and I'm sure there were some moments of stress behind the scenes. I believe Kiffin handled it well and Alabama's record reflects that. Good luck Lane!
Very good analysis, I for one am grateful that Kiffin came, his coaching is solid, he took 3 different QBs with 3 different skill sets and produced. . If he stayed at UT... who knows. I do not dislike him, but like this interview with Slimebaum, I cringed for a second thinking he may say something, still cringe that he may go twitter on us, but in general he did his job and I wish him well. Other than that I agree with your assessment.


:bamadance:
 
I read and listened to Hurts interview as well as other interviews given. It seems Lanes view of the Washington game was that Hurts just didn't need to loose the game. They got in his head about no turning the ball over so much it hamstrung him and he didn't want to throw anything. I believe that was what Saban was talking about when he said it "Our" job as coaches to make sure he is comfortable with the plan. I am sure glad we have a D that can win the game even when the O is struggling. However Clemson looked like a power house. We need Hurts to not turn the ball over BUT be confident when the throw is there. Not sure...Hurts just not loosing the game will be good enough to keep up with Clemson's offense.
 
You know what they say: 'Life is like a box of chocolates'..................

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I'm wishing him the best of luck at FAU and thanking him for his efforts. It's not easy working for Saban and I'm sure there were some moments of stress behind the scenes. I believe Kiffin handled it well and Alabama's record reflects that. Good luck Lane!

Agree. CLK did what he was hired to do and in return got on the job training from the best college football staff in America. I think that will serve him well down the road.
 
UPDATED: Kiffin out, Sark in at offensive coordinator
Aaron Suttles | TideSports.com

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Photos by Erin Nelson; image illustration by Terrin Waack
Lane Kiffin is out at Alabama.

That was the surprising news out of the University of Alabama athletic department Monday afternoon when head coach Nick Saban announced the news on ESPN, followed by a press release from the university.

Offensive analyst Steve Sarkisian, who has already been named offensive coordinator for 2017, will assume play-calling duties for the College Football Playoff national championship game.

After Kiffin, Alabama’s offensive coordinator for three seasons, accepted the head coaching job at Florida Atlantic, he and Saban agreed that Kiffin would stay on through the playoffs.

Obviously something changed. ESPN reporter Brett McMurphy reported that Kiffin was late to meetings the week of the Peach Bowl, and that that contributed to the decision to part ways this week.

Kiffin also missed the team bus following media day last Thursday and created a stir when he said there wasn’t much fun to be had at Alabama, only “ass-chewings.”

Off-the-field accusations and stumbles aside, Kiffin wasn’t able to get his offense in a rhythm against Washington Saturday.

Alabama struggled to sustain offense against the Huskies in the Peach Bowl semifinal with an unbalanced offensive attack. That was evidenced by 57 yards passing. There were sequences of the game where Bo Scarbrough, who rushed for a game-high 180 yards, went missing.

Saban and Kiffin said the decision to part ways was mutual to allow Kiffin to dedicate 100 percent of his time to head-coach job, although reading between the lines it was clear Saban felt his offensive was distracted.

“…we just thought it was in the best interest of our players, our program,and for Lane, to assume his responsibilities as a head coach at Florida Atlanta,” Saban said. “I think the way that we went about the last game, whether it was the preparation, the practice, being able to focus on what we needed to do for our team relative to the distractions that occur when you're trying to hire a staff and recruit another place and all these types of things.

“You know, hey, Lane did the best he could, it's a difficult circumstance and we certainly wish him well. We both had a meeting (Sunday) and again this morning and we thought this would be in the best interest and mutually agreed for both parties to move on.”

In an interview with Paul Finebaum on Monday afternoon, Kiffin said it was “simply not true” that any single off-the-field situation or occurrence led to the decision. Juggling two jobs was too much for him.

"I think I thought it would be easier than it was,” Kiffin said. “I re-watched the game a couple times last night, and I was kind of thinking, 'I don't feel like we played great.' Those games happen. Now we still did some good things, we ran the ball really well. Didn't turn the ball over and called the game very conservative because our defense was playing so good...I was wondering, 'Was I always there?' because you are bouncing between the two jobs. I was interviewing guys at night, calling recruits at night.

"Coach and I were kind of just bouncing it around, and just felt that really, ‘I don't know that for the players, that you can do 100 percent (doing two jobs). You try. But then your mind's thinking 'OK, well I've got to interview this guy later' or 'Here's a list of recruits you've got to watch at night' vs. watching extra film for the opponent and stuff.”

"As we discussed it, (we) just felt like Sark and I are so similar, we kind of speak the same language, call games the same way, that he would probably give us the best chance to win because 100 percent of his mind all day long is on the game. I'm still going to help in any way that I can.

“This simply came down to that Sark will give us the best chance to win this week with it being a short week compared to a normal bowl game.”

Kiffin was the offensive coordinator for three seasons and helped set many program records. He coached two Heisman Trophy finalists (Amari Cooper, Derrick Henry) and one winner (Henry). He led the Crimson Tide to back-to-back-to-back SEC titles, the first time that happened since the mid-1990s.

"It's really been an awesome run. Three SEC Championships - that hasn't been done in so long. To be part of that with three different quarterbacks and great coaches and to learn from Coach Saban and to see how he manages the game and the preparation every week - it's been great. I don't know that anybody could have imagined it would go this good with three SEC Championships and three SEC Offensive Players of the Year all three years. Now we've got one game left to win back-to-back national championships."
TideSports.com - UPDATED: Kiffin out, Sark in at offensive coordinator
 
Offense was flat in Lane Kiffin's final game
Tommy Deas | TideSports.com

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Alabama offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin speaks to the media during a press conference for the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl College Football Playoff semifinal at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Atlanta, Ga. on Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2016.
Erin Nelson | The Tuscaloosa News
Lane Kiffin finally ran the dang ball, and a couple of days later he was no longer the University of Alabama's offensive coordinator.

Kiffin was relieved of his duties on Monday, two days after the Crimson Tide defeated Washington 24-7 in the Peach Bowl semifinal of the College Football Playoff at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.

Head coach Nick Saban said he and Kiffin reached a mutual decision to part ways after meeting on the day after the game and again Monday morning. Kiffin is leaving to assume full-time responsibilities as head coach at Florida Atlantic after Saban had previously announced that he would finish out the postseason at UA.

So one week before Alabama plays Clemson for the national championship in Tampa, Steve Sarkisian – already named as offensive coordinator for next season – has taken command of the Crimson Tide's offense.

The change stems from Saban's dissatisfaction with Alabama's offense in the Washington game.

"I think the way that we went about the last game, whether it was the preparation, the practice, being able to focus on what we needed to do for our team," was the reason for the change, Saban said in an interview on ESPN.

Saban said "distractions that occur when you're trying to hire a staff and recruit another place and all these type things." Those responsibilities affected Kiffin's preparation for the Peach Bowl.

After the game, Kiffin also expressed disappointment.

"We didn't do as well as we wanted to do today," he said in an on-field interview a few minutes after the final whistle.

Alabama gained 326 yards against the Huskies, who came into the contest ranked in the top 11 nationally in both scoring and total defense. The 24 points and total yardage were second-lowest for UA on the season, behind only a 10-0 victory at LSU where Alabama gained 323 yards.

There were other problems against Washington: Alabama converted just 4 of 14 third-down opportunities and managed only 16 first downs. While the Crimson Tide ran for 269 yards, it gained just 57 yards through the air, with quarterback Jalen Hurts completing 7 of 14 attempts.

Ironically, the low output came in a game where Kiffin called a most un-Kiffin-like game. Criticized for a propensity to get away from the run by many fans, he called 45 rushing plays and 19 passes (with five of those pass-play calls resulting in either scrambles or sacks). Kiffin didn't utilize the jet-sweep pass – a short forward lateral to a receiver in motion – that had been a staple of his offense all season.

Kiffin said he was playing to win. Washington led the nation in takeaways, with more than 30 on the season, but Alabama didn't surrender a single one.

"We said all week that we'd win this game no matter what if we don't turn the ball over," he said. "We didn't turn it over – we put it on the ground (on a fumble) but we got it back – but this (Washington) team thrives on turnovers, they don't give up big plays, they play really good defense."

Kiffin admitted that he didn't take a lot of risks with Alabama keeping Washington's offense in check.

"That's kind of why there were times there that we were very conservative in the second half, just felt like the way our defense was playing it didn't make much sense to take a bunch of chances," he said. "These guys make a living off of turnovers, and if we don't give them turnovers, we don't give them shorts fields, it's going to be hard for them to score on our defense."

The low number of pass calls was out of respect to the back end of Washington's defense.

"We did think their corners were good players and that would give us some problems," Kiffin said.

Saban said he has tried to juggle the responsibilities of two jobs before, when he was finishing a season with the Cleveland Browns after being named head coach at Michigan State.

"You know, hey, Lane did the best he could, it's a difficult circumstance and we certainly wish him well," Saban said.
TideSports.com - Offense was flat in Lane Kiffin's final game
 
Kiffen is probably glad to be out as much as Saban wants him out. Kiffen took a converted rb in Sims and was one meltdown half of football from winning a title,(we would have beaten Oregon too). Took Coker and by the end of the year won a title and Coker improved so much he almost made it with the Cardinals, and with a running Qb with poor passing abilities, no field vision, but excellent running abilities has us in another title game. You can bitch about play calling, and I have but you cant argue with his results. What could he have done if he had AJ for those 3 years. I say thank you Lane for what you ere able to accomplish here and good luck at FAU. By the way Sims improved greatly from the start of the year to the end, Coker improved greatly also. Hurts has not shown the same type of improvement, so maybe Kiffenis doing his best with what he has.
 
UPDATED: Kiffin out, Sark in at offensive coordinator
Aaron Suttles | TideSports.com

jlah6aqjpaomwyy88lyi

Photos by Erin Nelson; image illustration by Terrin Waack
Lane Kiffin is out at Alabama.

That was the surprising news out of the University of Alabama athletic department Monday afternoon when head coach Nick Saban announced the news on ESPN, followed by a press release from the university.

Offensive analyst Steve Sarkisian, who has already been named offensive coordinator for 2017, will assume play-calling duties for the College Football Playoff national championship game.

After Kiffin, Alabama’s offensive coordinator for three seasons, accepted the head coaching job at Florida Atlantic, he and Saban agreed that Kiffin would stay on through the playoffs.

Obviously something changed. ESPN reporter Brett McMurphy reported that Kiffin was late to meetings the week of the Peach Bowl, and that that contributed to the decision to part ways this week.

Kiffin also missed the team bus following media day last Thursday and created a stir when he said there wasn’t much fun to be had at Alabama, only “ass-chewings.”

Off-the-field accusations and stumbles aside, Kiffin wasn’t able to get his offense in a rhythm against Washington Saturday.

Alabama struggled to sustain offense against the Huskies in the Peach Bowl semifinal with an unbalanced offensive attack. That was evidenced by 57 yards passing. There were sequences of the game where Bo Scarbrough, who rushed for a game-high 180 yards, went missing.

Saban and Kiffin said the decision to part ways was mutual to allow Kiffin to dedicate 100 percent of his time to head-coach job, although reading between the lines it was clear Saban felt his offensive was distracted.

“…we just thought it was in the best interest of our players, our program,and for Lane, to assume his responsibilities as a head coach at Florida Atlanta,” Saban said. “I think the way that we went about the last game, whether it was the preparation, the practice, being able to focus on what we needed to do for our team relative to the distractions that occur when you're trying to hire a staff and recruit another place and all these types of things.

“You know, hey, Lane did the best he could, it's a difficult circumstance and we certainly wish him well. We both had a meeting (Sunday) and again this morning and we thought this would be in the best interest and mutually agreed for both parties to move on.”

In an interview with Paul Finebaum on Monday afternoon, Kiffin said it was “simply not true” that any single off-the-field situation or occurrence led to the decision. Juggling two jobs was too much for him.

"I think I thought it would be easier than it was,” Kiffin said. “I re-watched the game a couple times last night, and I was kind of thinking, 'I don't feel like we played great.' Those games happen. Now we still did some good things, we ran the ball really well. Didn't turn the ball over and called the game very conservative because our defense was playing so good...I was wondering, 'Was I always there?' because you are bouncing between the two jobs. I was interviewing guys at night, calling recruits at night.

"Coach and I were kind of just bouncing it around, and just felt that really, ‘I don't know that for the players, that you can do 100 percent (doing two jobs). You try. But then your mind's thinking 'OK, well I've got to interview this guy later' or 'Here's a list of recruits you've got to watch at night' vs. watching extra film for the opponent and stuff.”

"As we discussed it, (we) just felt like Sark and I are so similar, we kind of speak the same language, call games the same way, that he would probably give us the best chance to win because 100 percent of his mind all day long is on the game. I'm still going to help in any way that I can.

“This simply came down to that Sark will give us the best chance to win this week with it being a short week compared to a normal bowl game.”

Kiffin was the offensive coordinator for three seasons and helped set many program records. He coached two Heisman Trophy finalists (Amari Cooper, Derrick Henry) and one winner (Henry). He led the Crimson Tide to back-to-back-to-back SEC titles, the first time that happened since the mid-1990s.

"It's really been an awesome run. Three SEC Championships - that hasn't been done in so long. To be part of that with three different quarterbacks and great coaches and to learn from Coach Saban and to see how he manages the game and the preparation every week - it's been great. I don't know that anybody could have imagined it would go this good with three SEC Championships and three SEC Offensive Players of the Year all three years. Now we've got one game left to win back-to-back national championships."
TideSports.com - UPDATED: Kiffin out, Sark in at offensive coordinator

I would like to believe what he said, especially about friction and missing the bus, which actually may be right, but it wasn't addressed in the media to shut up the clowns; but I dunno...He seemed pretty rehearsed.
 
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