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SEC Championship may be Lane Kiffin’s final game at Alabama

By Dave Holcomb

Oct 15, 2016; Knoxville, TN, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin looks on during the first half against the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 15, 2016; Knoxville, TN, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin looks on during the first half against the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports /
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Lane Kiffin has been on quite a successful run as offensive coordinator with the Alabama Crimson Tide, but it may be coming to an end this weekend.

WWL-870 football analyst Michael Detillier appeared on ESPN Radio in Baton Rouge and said this Saturday’s SEC Championship Game will be Kiffin’s final contest as the Alabama play caller.

Since LSU dropped the interim tag for Ed Orgeron, the new Tigers coach has been rumored to be interesting in hiring Kiffin, who was his boss at both Tennessee and USC, as offensive coordinator. It’s not often college football fans see a successful coordinator leave a championship roster for the same position at another school, but he might be interested in proving he can win away from Nick Saban’s shadow. That would put him in a stronger position to earn a head coaching job further down the road.

However, there are also rumors that Kiffin could leave Alabama to become a head coach right away. Campus Insider reports he will interview for the Houston head coaching position after the SEC Championship Game. Kiffin is in his third season as Alabama’s offensive coordinator and barring something extremely unusual happening this weekend, the Crimson Tide will have earned a spot in the College Football Playoff in all three of his seasons.

This year, Alabama led the SEC and was 18th overall in the nation with 39.4 points per game. They were also second in rushing yards and sixth in passing yards per contest. Kiffin has previous head coaching experience in Tennessee and USC, where he went a combined 35-21. USC fired him after five games in 2013.

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He also coached the Oakland Raiders in 2007 and 2008, where he posted a less than impressive 5-15 record. At the time of his hiring, Kiffin was the youngest coach in NFL history at just 31 years old.

If he does indeed leave, Alabama will have lost its defensive coordinator, Kriby Smart, and Kiffin in the same 12 months. Smart is now head coach at Georgia.

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