Lane Kiffin shares epic interaction with former Alabama HC Nick Saban from old times- "I got a lot of a*s chewings"

After Lane Kiffin had served as a head coach in the NFL and college football world for a couple of years, he took the Alabama offensive coordinator job in 2014. The current Ole Miss head coach had one of his most unforgettable coaching experiences under Nick Saban.

In a recent interview conducted with former assistants of Nick Saban by ESPN, Kiffin talked about how he received his share of “a**-chewing” under Saban. Nonetheless, it seems none was as intense as that of the 2016 fall camp, where his efforts did not satisfy the coach.

He narrated a locker room scenario after a practice session that didn't impress Saban. At this time, the Crimson Tide head coach had sent everyone out but Kiffin:

“I have to sit there, and he is screaming at me, standing over me screaming as I'm sitting in my chair. I thought he was going to fight me physically," Kiffin said. “So, yes, I got a lot of a**-chewings, but that's the biggest one and one that no one saw. But I deserved it.”

Lane Kiffin's tenure under Nick Saban

Lane Kiffin served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach under Nick Saban from 2014 to 2016. Before then, he served as the head coach of the Oakland Raiders, Tennessee and USC. The Crimson Tide job marked a return for Kiffin to being an assistant coach.

His tenure in the role was pretty much a successful one, as he made significant contributions to the team's triumphs on the field in those periods. The offense he orchestrated made Alabama almost invincible then, working with three different quarterbacks in his three seasons.

The Crimson Tide went 40-3 during Lane Kiffin's tenure as offensive coordinator, winning three SEC championships as well as a national title. The team notably appeared in the College Football Playoff in all of Kiffin's three seasons. His exit from the program was, however, an abrupt one.

Lane Kiffin's exit from Alabama

Following the conclusion of the 2016 regular season, Kiffin accepted the Florida Atlantic head coaching job but decided to stay with Alabama through the CFP schedule. However, he was relieved of his duties by the Crimson Tide:

“This wasn't an easy decision and we appreciate the way Lane handled this in terms of doing what is best for our team," Saban said in a statement. "At the end of the day, both of us wanted to put our players in the best position to be successful.”

He was replaced by Steve Sarkisian, who also succeeded Kiffin at USC, for the national championship game against Clemson. The relationship between Saban and Kiffin was notably an odd one throughout his time at Alabama, but they were still able to work together and win.