Lane Kiffin’s path to Alabama has come up again, and this time the story has a fresh twist: Paul Finebaum says Kiffin tried to get him to help sell the Crimson Tide on him, but Nick Saban was standing in the way.
Finebaum said Thursday that Kiffin reached out after Saban retired in 2024 and wanted a public push for the Alabama job. At the time, the conversation was swirling around other names, including current Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer and current Florida State coach Mike Norvell.
“(Alabama coach) Saban retired (in 2024) on Wednesday and Thursday afternoon after show started, Kiffin texted me saying he had to speak,” Finebaum shared Thursday when asked about the timeline. “At the time, speculation was on (current Alabama coach Kalen) DeBoer and (current Florida State coach Mike) Norvell.
“I called him during the next break and asked, ‘What do you want me to do?’ Afterall, Jimmy Sexton was his agent.
He said, ‘Go on air and say I will take job. I turned down Auburn for this.’”
Finebaum said he pushed back after hearing from sources that Saban was blocking Kiffin from getting the job.
“I mentioned I had been told by sources Saban was blocking him,” Finebaum said. “He didn’t respond and just added - if I could go on air and get some momentum - he might have a chance. Then, I went back on air.”
Finebaum said he did offer support, but not a full-throated guarantee.
“I mentioned he would take the job if it were offered, but I added that I thought it was unlikely he get it,” Finebaum added.
That obstacle, Finebaum said, was Saban himself. Kiffin and Saban already have a complicated history, including the 2017 split when Saban fired Kiffin as Alabama’s offensive coordinator before the national championship game.
At the time, Kiffin said on The Paul Finebaum Show that he had not been fired, hours after Alabama announced he would not coach the Tide in the title game. Kiffin had been hired by FAU on Dec. 13 and initially planned to stay with Alabama through the end of that season, but said the decision to leave came after he and Saban met and reached a mutual agreement.
Steve Sarkisian, who had been set to take over as Alabama’s offensive coordinator after the season, stepped in for the title game.
That move came two days after Alabama managed only 326 yards of offense and 17 points in a 24-7 Peach Bowl win over Washington.
“Coach (Saban) and I spent some time together last night ... and then again this morning, and just kind of bouncing some things around and just reflecting on the preparation for the game and trying to do both jobs,” Kiffin told Finebaum at the time. “I think I thought it would be easier than it was. I re-watched the game a couple times last night, and I was kind of thinking, ‘I don’t feel like we played great.’ ...
“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 (juggling both 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.”
Kiffin also revisited why he didn’t take the Auburn job, saying in 2025 that his daughter and Ole Miss student Landry were part of the reason.
The Auburn opening had surfaced twice in Kiffin’s career, first in 2020 during his first year at Ole Miss and again in 2022, when his name was near the top of the list.
In Other News...
Alabama Suddenly Has A Backfield Problem Kalen DeBoer Didn't Need
Alabamas backfield has already had to adjust early this season, and AK Dears status is still one of the more important moving parts heading into the next game. The sophomore running back has missed the first two contests because of a high-ankle sprain he suffered in fall camp, but he has at least taken part in warm-ups and remains in the mix as the Crimson Tide prepare for Florida State.
In the meantime, Daniel Hill, EJ Crowell and Trae'shawn Brown have helped carry the load in Dears absence, giving Alabama some depth while it waits on a clearer answer. Even so, the uncertainty around Dear is not ideal for Kalen DeBoer, especially this early in the season when every healthy body in the backfield matters and the staff would prefer to have more certainty before kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State Brings Alabama A Very Different Offensive Test
Florida State has already looked like a different operation than the one Alabama saw in 2024, when the Seminoles struggled to get much going with D.J. Uiagalelei at quarterback and finished at just 15.4 points per game. The 2025 reboot under offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn and quarterback Tommy Castellanos changed the tone quickly, with the offense jumping to 33 points a game and giving the Tide a much more active test to prepare for.
Now comes another layer of uncertainty for Alabama to sort through. Tim Harris Jr. has been promoted to offensive coordinator, Mike Norvell has taken back play-calling duties and the Seminoles are leaning on a strong running game while quarterback Ashton Daniels works through passing efficiency issues. For a defense trying to get ready in September, the challenge is less about one familiar scheme and more about adjusting to an attack that keeps evolving. [Read more 🡒]
Derrick Henrys Alabama Recruitment Still Says Everything About His Legacy
Doug Nussmeier is getting a familiar look this week when the Saints head to M&T Bank Stadium to face the Ravens, and the reunion brings him back to one of the more memorable recruiting stories from his Alabama days. Nussmeier, now the Saints offensive coordinator, was part of the staff that helped bring Derrick Henry to Tuscaloosa, and he recently revisited what made Henry such a unique prospect even before the rest of college football caught up to him.
What stood out then still defines Henry now: the size, the style, the sense that he could eventually become something bigger than a normal running back. Nussmeiers reflections were a reminder of how Alabamas staff viewed Henry long before he was powering NFL defenses, and why his recruitment still lingers as part of the broader story of his legacy. [Read more 🡒]