Lane Kiffin says he thought juggling two jobs ‘would be easier than it was’ – Yahoo Sports

Former Alabama offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin said he wondered when looking back on Alabama’s win over Washington if he was fully invested in the Tide’s semifinal victory.

Kiffin told ESPN’s Paul Finebaum on Monday that he thought balancing his duties as Alabama’s offensive coordinator and Florida Atlantic’s new head coach would be “easier” than it turned out to be after he saw former Alabama defensive coordinator (and current Georgia head coach) Kirby Smart do something similar in 2015.

Alabama announced earlier Monday that Kiffin had relinquished his duties as offensive coordinator by mutual decision between he and Saban effective immediately. That means Kiffin won’t coach the College Football Playoff National Championship Game vs. Clemson on Jan. 9.

“I think I thought it would be easier than it was but as I looked at it — I rewatched the game a couple times last night and I was kind of thinking I didn’t feel like we played great. Those games happen, we still did some good things. Ran the ball really well. Didn’t turn the ball over and called the game very conservative because our defense wasn’t playing so good,” Kiffin said. “So it wasn’t anything about the game, I was wondering was I always there because I’m balancing between two jobs. You’re interviewing guys at night, calling recruits at night … that was a game we had a month to prepare for. Now we have a little over a week for this game and coach and I were just kind of bouncing around and just felt that really I don’t know for the players you can do 100 percent. You try but then you’re mind’s thinking about ‘OK I’ve got to interview this guy later … here’s a list of recruits you’ve got to watch at night.’ Versus watching extra film for the opponent and stuff.”

Kiffin, 41, also said that the parting of ways with Alabama so close to the championship game “was something probably 10 years ago I wouldn’t have come up with.” In his interview with Finebaum, Kiffin ade it clear that he wanted to show that he had a significant role in the decision to not continue as Alabama’s OC.

Former USC coach Steve Sarkisian, who was set to take over for Kiffin in 2017, will be Alabama’s offensive coordinator for the title game. Sarkisian and Kiffin were co-offensive coordinators at USC under former coach Pete Carroll and Kiffin said he felt Sarkisian gave the team the best chance to beat the Tigers.

“Sark and I are so similar,” Kiffin said. “We kind of speak the same language, call games the same way. That he would probably give us the best chance to win because 100 percent of the time all day long his mind is going to be on the game. I’m still going to help in any way that I can to win the game; watched some film last night, this morning. [Clemson], they’re a very good team obviously and talked some ideas with Sark and want to go win this game. But it’s the best thing for the players at this time for Sark to call the game and to lead all the meetings all week long because I want these guys to win and they deserve the best.”

Sarkisian hasn’t called plays since ceding the playcalling duties to USC offensive coordinator (and now current USC coach) Clay Helton in 2015.

When Finebaum asked Kiffin about talk that Saban had lost trust in him — the coach was visibly frustrated with Alabama’s offensive showing at times during the Washington game — Kiffin said “there’s no way to that” and also downplayed the significance of Kiffin missing a team bus departing media day ahead of the Peach Bowl.

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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

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