Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Kiffin tabs brother as defensive coordinator
Just two days after he was officially hired, Florida Atlantic football coach Lane Kiffin appears to have his coordinators.
According to multiple reports, Kiffin has hired his brother and Ole Miss defensive line coach Chris Kiffin to be the Owls’ defensive coordinator, and former New Mexico coach and Maryland offensive coordinator Mike Locksley to be his offensive coordinator.
Chris Kiffin has spent the past five years at Ole Miss under Hugh Freeze, also serving as the recruiting coordinator for defense. He was named the 2013 Recruiter of the Year by Scout after helping the Rebels haul in the nation’s top recruiting class.
Prior to Ole Miss, he coached the defensive line at Arkansas State for one season and spent time working for Lane as an administrative assistant on defense at Southern California. He also worked in smaller roles for Nebraska and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
While at Ole Miss, Chris Kiffin allegedly committed three minor NCAA violations in 2013 and 2014, according to the NCAA’s notice of allegations to Ole Miss. He was accused of letting a player sleep at his home for two nights (a $33 monetary value, according to the NCAA) and having a 10-minute off-campus conversation with a recruit during an evaluation period. Both were Level III offenses.
The NCAA also said Chris arranged meals and hotel rooms for three family members of a recruit on an official visit to Ole Miss. Because the family members weren’t his parents or legal guardians, it was a Level II violation that totaled $1,027, according to the NCAA.
Lane Kiffin has hired family to his staff in the past, utilizing his father and legendary defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin on staffs at Tennessee and USC.
Locksley spent this season as an offensive analyst at Alabama, working alongside Lane Kiffin, who will remain the Crimson Tide’s offensive coordinator through their playoff run. Locksley was New Mexico’s head coach from 2009-11 and Maryland’s offensive coordinator from 2012-15, finishing his final season in College Park as the interim head coach after Randy Edsall was fired.
Previously, he directed Illinois’ offense for four seasons and worked in smaller roles at Florida, Maryland and Army.
Locksley and Chris Kiffin would be the first new hires for Lane Kiffin, who did not retain six FAU assistants from last season’s staff. Offensive line coach Garin Justice, wide receivers coach Dan Shula and cornerbacks coach Corey Bell are still on the staff, though the coordinators will help decide if they stay permanently.
Kiffin has a $1.7 million pool to hire nine assistant coaches and a strength coach.