Alabama coach Nick Saban announced Monday that Steve Sarkisian would be the offensive coordinator for the national championship game against Clemson and that Kiffin will depart the program to focus on his new coach as coach at Florida Atlantic. Nothing had really distracted Saban or his team until the week of the SEC championship game when questions about Kiffin’s next possible coaching destination began coming at Saban like pesky gnats.
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Saban said Sarkisian, who was sacked as head coach at Southern California five games into the 2015 season, spent the fall as an analyst for the Crimson Tide, but he hasn’t been directly involved with the team. His first assignment will be the national championship next week against Clemson.
When they do, though, they usually end up in Alabama’s backfield.
Knoxville fire officials and university police were on campus after Kiffin’s announcement as students burned mattresses and gathered around the athletic department building in hopes of blocking Kiffin from leaving campus.
And so it has been for 10 years, and so it was again when Saban and Kiffin mutually decided, a release by the school said, that it was time for Kiffin to move on and begin his new assignment as coach at Florida Atlantic.
“It’s the best thing for the players for Sark to call this game for these players because I want them to win and they deserve the best”. Obviously, we are in a unique situation here where we have our next offensive coordinator already on staff.
As any Tennessee fan knows – this isn’t the first time Kiffin has left a job early or unexpectedly.
Kiffin joined the Alabama staff in January of 2014 and was responsible for helping develop former Alabama quarterback Jake Coker and former Heisman victor Derrick Henry ahead of the Crimson Tide’s championship a season ago.
According to sources, Saban fumed when Kiffin was several minutes late for a staff meeting in Tuscaloosa before the Crimson Tide broke for the Christmas holiday.
Not long before Saban spoke, Kiffin made it sound like it was his decision to leave, which really stretched the bounds of credibility – especially when he also raised the idea of essentially flipping jobs with Sarkisian to stay on with the Crimson Tide as an analyst through the title game.
“That’s not something we’re interested in”, Saban said.
“Well, if you understand the rules, you know, he’s not allowed to be involved with the team”, Saban said. Kiffin had been on the sideline for Saturday’s CFP matchup against the Washington Huskies, but the team had only been able to score one touchdown on offense in the 24-7 victory.
Freshman quarterback Jalen Hurts never found a rhythm and never seemed comfortable in the pocket.
Former Vol Jayson Swain says the Tide could still be successful even with this setback. Both described it as a mutual decision.
Saban saw how juggling two jobs wore down Kirby Smart, but said he was making the sacrifice for the team. And of course, Kiffin took the door. Those games happen, and we still did some good things.
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“This will come across wrong”, Kiffin told SI.
