Alabama coach Nick Saban fielded questions about former offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin on the College Football Playoff National Championship teleconference Tuesday.
Saban didn’t seem interested in giving much more information about the situation leading up to No. 1 Alabama’s showdown with No. 2 Clemson on Jan. 9 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla.
“We made a statement about this yesterday and I really don’t have much else to say about it,” Saban said on the teleconference. “Difficult sometimes when you’re in a situation where you’re in a new opportunity and have a new job. We mutually agreed in the best interest of everyone that this would be the best thing for us to do.”
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Kiffin will assume his responsibilities as head coach at Florida Atlantic. Steve Sarkisian will serve as the Crimson Tide’s offensive coordinator against the Tigers. Saban said Alabama’s philosophy won’t change with the switch, then he bristled later in the response.
“Our coaches are working hard to try to put the best game plan we can together to play against a very good Clemson defense,” Saban said. “We’re in the planning stages right now, so I don’t know why you all keep asking me what changes we’re going to make. Dabo’s a good friend of mine. Maybe I’ll just call him up and tell him what we’re going to do.”
Saban wouldn’t elaborate on further questioning about the situation. Kiffin said on ESPN’s “Mike and Mike” that the “press box would be ideal” when asked whether he would be on the sideline for the game against Clemson. Saban, however, dismissed that notion.
“That’s really not even possible from a legal standpoint for him to do those things,” Saban said. “So that’s not something we’re interested in pursuing.”
From there, Saban shut down questions about Kiffin handling duel job responsibilities leading up to the 24-7 victory against Washington in the Chick-fil-A Bowl on Dec. 31.
“I don’t have anything else to say about this,” Saban said. “We’re moving forward. We’re looking forward to the Clemson game. We did what we did for the reasons that I’ve stated many times before, and there’s really nothing else to talk about.”
