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What’s next for Alabama offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin?

By Brad Berreman

KNOXVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 15: Offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin of the Alabama Crimson Tide looks on during the game against the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium on October 15, 2016 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 15: Offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin of the Alabama Crimson Tide looks on during the game against the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium on October 15, 2016 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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Now that he has been passed over for the position of head coach at the University Houston, what’s next for Lane Kiffin?

After a report Thursday morning that he was in line to be named the next head coach at Houston, pending a meeting of school officials, Lane Kiffin had the rug pulled out from under him with Friday morning’s promotion of offensive coordinator Major Applewhite.

Kiffin is running out of immediate options for his next head coaching job, but he will have a job somewhere next season. So what’s next for Alabama’s offensive coordinator?

Kiffin has rebuilt his reputation over the last three seasons under Nick Saban, which made him a rumored candidate for head coaching jobs during this coaching carousel. Saban seemed to prepare for Kiffin’s possible departure by hiring fellow former USC head coach Steve Sarkisian as an offensive consultant. But more recent buzz, seemingly predicated on Kiffin getting the Houston job, had pointed to Sarkisian as a candidate to become LSU’s new offensive coordinator.

Speaking of LSU, head coach Ed Orgeron has reportedly started a thorough search for an offensive coordinator that will run an up-tempo offense. Kiffin was immediately mentioned as a candidate to become LSU’s offensive coordinator when Orgeron was promoted from interim head coach, since they are friends dating back to their time as assistants at USC. Now that Kiffin is not going to Houston, that should be back in play.

The permanent head jobs at Temple, South Florida, Cincinnati and Western Kentucky are technically open right now. Former Texas head coach Charlie Strong looks like the front-runner at South Florida though, and Ohio State defensive coordinator Luke Fickell is now in line to take the Cincinnati job. Kiffin could quickly become a strong candidate at South Florida, but he would probably be the fallback option in case Strong turns down the job. Temple and Western Kentucky are not currently known to have interest in Kiffin, and those jobs may not appeal to him anyway.

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Kiffin seems most likely to either remain Alabama’s offensive coordinator, or take the same post theoretically for more money at LSU. With the relative dearth of good openings this year, barring a highly unlikely return to the NFL, Kiffin should resurface as a candidate for college head coaching jobs again around a year from now.

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