NCAA changes

FAU coach Lane Kiffin isn’t happy with a rule that adds restrictions to football camps.

BOCA RATON — Florida Atlantic coach Lane Kiffin doesn’t approve of the NCAA’s new rules regarding summer camps, but some in Boca Raton are benefiting from them.

FAU hosted its second camp of the summer on Thursday morning, an Adidas showcase that featured coaches from Texas A&M, Mississippi State, Nebraska and NC State, among others. Miami was originally scheduled to send coaches to Boca Raton, but did not.

Camps allow college coaches to teach and evaluate hundreds of high school and junior college prospects at the same time, while engaging them in recruiting conversations. For players, it’s a chance to play in front of coaches with whom they typically wouldn’t interact.

In April, the NCAA adopted new rules regarding the controversial camps, including a rule that prohibits schools from hiring local high school coaches to work the camp as instructors. Other smaller changes limited the camps (from 30 days down to 10) and the location of camps (only on college campuses).

Kiffin blasted the new rules limiting a high school coaching presence.

“Which I think is a really bad rule, because it allows us to help high school coaches or younger coaches financially, and it allows us to help them grow and learn from our stuff,” Kiffin said. “Teach them a lot of drills. Unfortunately, we can’t do that, so now a lot of them aren’t able to come work with the kids. It is what it is and we’re just trying to work around it the best we can.”

Kiffin added: “The rules change so much, I just know what they are at the time and then next year, they’ll all change again. Pretty soon, we won’t be able to coach our own kids.”

Both FAU’s current players and its off-the-field staff indirectly benefit from the rule changes. Current players are paid to work camps, Kiffin said. They set up the fields, demonstrate drills and record times.

Graduate assistants, analysts and strength coaches also have a shot at impressing Kiffin with their coaching chops. During the season, only Kiffin, FAU’s nine assistants and four graduate assistants are allowed to coach the players. Camps offer a glimpse into the analyst’s coaching potential.

“It’s really good to see those guys get a chance to coach because those guys, besides the GAs, cannot coach our own players during our practices,” Kiffin said. “They can in these camps, so you get to kind of evaluate those guys because you always want to have your ready list. ‘If I lose this guy, this may be a guy that I would replace him with.’”

Stay off my turf

Many of the coaches at FAU on Thursday morning made the trek south to FIU on Thursday evening. The Panthers hosted their own Adidas camp, just hours after their rivals to the north did.

FIU coaches were not invited to Boca Raton, just as FAU coaches were not welcomed in Miami.

“That’s the only school, just because of the rivalry, that both schools agreed that we were going to go to all the other Adidas schools’ camps, but just not that one,” Kiffin said.

During Monday’s Owls Elite camp in which Michigan and Oregon headlined the visitors, Kiffin said he didn’t turn down any school that wanted to camp with the Owls. Two of Kiffin’s former employers — Tennessee and USC — attended the camp.

Kiffin and FIU assistant coaches each worked Wednesday’s camp at Mercer, though. Texas A&M, Mississippi State, Nebraska and Indiana were among the schools scheduled to have coaches at both the FAU and FIU camps.

FAU hosts FIU on Nov. 18 at 7 p.m. The Panthers own the Don Shula Award after last season’s 33-31 win.

An SEC endorsement

Mississippi State coach Dan

Mullen joined a chorus of coaches in predicting Kiffin’s success at FAU. On Monday, both Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh and Oregon coach Willie Taggart expressed support of Kiffin’s quest to build a winner in Boca Raton.

“He’s an innovator, always thinking,” Mullen said. “He’s not afraid to think outside the box, not just on the field. In recruiting, how he runs the program, everything. I think he’ll bring a bunch of innovative ideas down here to South Florida and then he’ll build a great program.”

Mullen has been the head coach at Mississippi State for the past eight seasons, entering the SEC the same time Kiffin did when he took over Tennessee’s program in 2009.

As Alabama’s offensive coordinator the past three seasons, Kiffin averaged 35.7 points per game against the Bulldogs. The Crimson Tide went 3-0.

“I’m sure he’ll put some talented teams together out there on the field,” Mullen said. “I’m friends with Lane, great coach. He’ll recruit them some players and put together some pretty good teams.”

Kiffin said the Owls expect everyone who missed spring practice with injuries to be ready for preseason camp. Among the notables who missed FAU’s spring game: linebacker Azeez AlShaair, quarterback Daniel Parr, safety Jalen Young, defensive tackle Ray Ellis and linebacker Khantrell Burden.

Kiffin