“Like an ex”: When $14M worth Lane Kiffin had a hilarious remark on his relationship with Nick Saban

Lane Kiffin is one of the most successful assistant coaches Nick Saban has ever had. He spent three seasons as Alabama's offensive coordinator following his tenure as USC head coach. However, their relationship wasn't a smooth one due to the wide difference in their personalities.

In October 2020, while Kiffin was deep into his first season at Ole Miss, he had an interview with ESPN where he discussed his time under the leadership of Nick Saban. He was questioned about his relationship with the legendary coach, and he had a humorous way to describe it.

“I don't know, maybe like an ex, there's some good and some bad,” Kiffin said (Timestamp 0:42). “I kind of thought about it, it's like, it is like divorce, you know, and then you go back and see everybody years later.

“It's almost like a child, when you grow up in a household, you don't understand why your parents do things sometimes, then when you get older, you kind of realize that you find yourself doing some of the same things. That's really what it's like. I appreciate it way more now that I'm gone than when I was there.”

Lane Kiffin, who has a net worth of $14 million according to CelebrityNetWorth, helped modernize Nick Saban's offense at Alabama. He orchestrated the shift from a run-heavy system to a more spread-based attack. While this recorded significant success, the relationship between Kiffin and Saban was a complex one that garnered media attention.

Lane Kiffin appreciates the impact of working under Nick Saban

The success Lane Kiffin recorded working under Nick Saban was crucial to him getting a head coaching offer again. He left Alabama on a controversial note in 2017 for Florida Atlantic before landing at Ole Miss. He noted this wouldn't be possible without working under Saban.

“I wouldn't be here," (Timestamp 2:38). "The phone wasn't ringing. You just can't coach. I could have been quality control somewhere, an analyst or something like that. Head coach (it will) not give me that opportunity.

Kiffin was asked in the interview what it would feel like on the sideline when Ole Miss faces Alabama, and he didn't see much into that.

“It'll be fine,” Kiffin said (Timestamp 2:57). “I actually sent him a long text, which, obviously, he didn't respond. But when I got the job, I sent him a long text, a very grateful text to him.”

While the relationship between Lane Kiffin and Nick Saban was a largely complex one, it helped shape the careers of the two in different ways. They won a national championship and three conference titles together during their time at Alabama, ending with a 40-3 record.