Kiffin says he won’t miss Saban’s temper
ATLANTA — Lane Kiffin knows something about revitalizing his coaching career with a successful stopover as Alabama’s offensive coordinator.
Now, Kiffin is on his way out and another former Southern California head coach, Steve Sarkisian, will replace him after the playoffs. Kiffin has parlayed the pairing with Nick Saban into three Southeastern Conference titles, at least one national championship and the head coaching job at Florida Atlantic .
Sarkisian is still working as an offensive analyst for the topranked Crimson Tide, which faces No. 4 Washington in Saturday’s Peach Bowl semifinal.
“I’m sure if he were to write a script, that’s how he would have wrote it,” Kiffin said. Sarkisian is “an offensive coordinator again versus having to go be a position coach again in less than one year and it’s at the best place in the country with the best head coach. I was really happy for him.”
The Saban-Kiffin pairing has been successful by any standard, including three playoff berths and a 13-0 start this season. It’s also been visibly combustible at times with cameras capturing Saban giving Kiffin an earful on the sidelines during games.
Kiffin was asked if he could recall Saban’s happiest moment in a game.
“I don’t recall a happy moment,” Kiffin said, adding that he only remembers the many times he was chewed out. “I won’t take that part of the process with me, though.”
The players have noticed that sometimes tense in-game relationship. Left tackle Cam Robinson said the angriest he’s seen Saban was when he was “probably mad at Coach Kiffin for something.”
Asked how mad Saban has gotten at him, Robinson said: “Not as mad as he gets at coach Kiffin.”
WYOMING: Record-setting running back Brian Hill has announced he is skipping his senior season to enter the 2017 NFL Draft. Hill, a native of Belleville, Ill., set a school rushing record with 4,287 career yards. He rushed for 1,860 yards in 2016, breaking the single-season record of 1,631 yards he set as a sophomore in 2015.
PENN STATE: The No. 5 Nittany Lions have suspended two starters for the Rose Bowl for violating team rules.
Team officials said Wednesday that wide receiver Saeed Blacknall and linebacker Manny Bowen will not play in the game against No. 9 USC on Monday.
The team did not say what the violations were.
Blacknall started seven games for Penn State, totaling 347 yards and three touchdowns.
Bowen played in 13 games, totaling 68 tackles, 8½ for losses.
UCONN: The school is bringing back Randy Edsall as coach, hoping to turn around the Huskies by rehiring the winningest coach in school history.
Athletic director David Benedict announced Edsall’s hiring Wednesday, two days after firing Bob Diaco. Diaco went 11-26 in three seasons.
“Coach Edsall is the right fit for our university, football program and student-athletes,” Benedict said. “He led UConn to its most successful period in the history of our football program and I believe he will provide consistent leadership and long-term success once again.”
Edsall coached at UConn from 1999 through the 2010 season, going 74-70 and winning the Big East titles in 2007 and 2010. He left to become the coach at Maryland from 2011-2015 after he took UConn to the Fiesta Bowl in his final season with the Huskies.
MIDDLE TENNESSEE: The Blue Raiders have fired defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix and receivers coach Kez McCorvey.
Nix joined coach Rick Stockstill’s Middle Tennessee staff in 2012 after spending four seasons as Mississippi’s defensive coordinator. The Blue Raiders went 8-5 this year but allowed over 50 points in each of its last two games, including a 52-35 Hawaii Bowl loss to Hawaii .
McCorvey had joined Middle Tennessee’s staff this season.