Nick Saban is 86-10 in his past seven seasons as Alabama’s head football coach. From a percentage standpoint, that’s almost as good as the 85-9 mark Lane Kiffin has compiled during his past seven seasons as an offensive assistant.
Kiffin had his share of turbulent times as a head coach from 2007 to ’13 – he spent less than two full seasons with the NFL’s Oakland Raiders before college jobs with Tennessee and Southern California – but he has known nothing but 10-win seasons as an assistant ever since Pete Carroll’s first USC team went 6-6 in 2001.
“I’ve been very fortunate with Coach Carroll and Coach Saban,” Kiffin said in a news conference earlier this month. “People always ask, ‘How are they alike?’ They are extremely different in almost everything. The one thing they do have in common is a belief system of how they do what they do.
“In everything that happens, they have an answer for it, and it really doesn’t change. Both guys are also phenomenal recruiters, as you can see by the draft picks at USC and now here. Great players obviously help.”
Kiffin’s past seven seasons as an assistant also include three national championships awarded by The Associated Press, with USC having won them in 2003 and ’04 and Alabama last year. The Trojans did not win the ’03 BCS national title, with Saban’s fourth LSU team claiming that with a 21-14 win over Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl, and their ’04 BCS title was vacated in June 2011 due to NCAA sanctions that were the result of rules violations involving former tailback Reggie Bush.
Saban hired Kiffin as offensive coordinator in January 2014, and the Crimson Tide since have gone 26-3 with two Southeastern Conference championships and last season’s national title. Kiffin has been at programs that have defied the adage of staying on top being tougher than getting there, and Alabama’s run of success under Saban has surpassed what Carroll accomplished and doesn’t appear to be eroding.
“Anybody can do something one time and have that great year because everything goes right, but maintaining it and sustaining it for a long period of time the way Coach Carroll did and Coach Saban has done really is remarkable,” Kiffin said. “In today’s game, and this is in no disrespect to coaches a long time ago, but it’s harder because of the scholarship numbers and the abilities kids have to transfer.
“We have fewer kids, so the margin for error is greater. When we miss on kids in recruiting, they’re going to other people and will play, and that’s different from the days of taking 40 or 50 in a class. It’s unbelievable what Coach Carroll did and now the run Coach Saban is on. It really is remarkable.”
Tide tidbits
ESPN reported Wednesday that redshirt freshman cornerback Kendall Sheffield, who was Scout.com’s No. 9 overall prospect in the 2015 signing class, has decided to transfer, but there was no confirmation from the school. Alabama practiced Wednesday afternoon for two hours in full pads. Senior defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson has not worked out since twisting his ankle during Saturday’s scrimmage.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.