Would Alabama really hire Lane Kiffin to replace Nick Saban?

Of all the potential candidates to replace Nick Saban at Alabama, one name will certainly foster strong opinions on both sides of the argument — Lane Kiffin.

The current Ole Miss coach and former Crimson Tide offensive coordinator has been lurking in the shadows during the latter stages of Saban’s tenure at Alabama. Many believe that Kiffin ultimately backed out of an opportunity to become head coach at Auburn a year ago because he wanted the Alabama job and knew he could never get to Tuscaloosa from Auburn.

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It seems very likely that Kiffin would jump at the Alabama job, but is the feeling mutual? Here’s the case for and against Kiffin as Saban’s replacement:

THE CASE FOR KIFFIN1. He’s won everywhere he’s been a head coach at the college level

Kiffin has a 95-49 record in 12 seasons at Tennessee, USC, Florida Atlantic and Ole Miss. Even during his controversial tenure at USC, he won at a level no one else has since Pete Carroll’s glory days. The Rebels are currently enjoying their best sustained run of success since the 1960s.

2. He’s young and energetic enough to stick around a while

Kiffin is only 48, seven years younger than Saban was when he got the Alabama job. If he came to Tuscaloosa, it would be realistic to expect him to stay 15 years or so, maybe longer. And it seems like his experience as Oakland Raiders head coach in the late 2000s was bad enough he’s not likely to want to return to the NFL.

3. He’s been at Alabama before and would know what he’s getting into

Kiffin was Alabama’s offensive coordinator from 2014-16, so the “fish bowl” in Tuscaloosa wouldn’t catch him off-guard the way it has some former Alabama coaches. Kiffin is also arrogant enough (in a good way) that he won’t be intimidated by the idea of replacing the greatest coach in college football history.

4. He coaches an exciting brand of football that would keep fans energized

Kiffin is given quite a bit of credit with helping revitalize Alabama’s offense during the latter half of Saban’s tenure, when he installed the no-huddle and spread offense concepts the Crimson Tide continues to run. His teams at Ole Miss have been fun to watch, which is an important consideration in this age of football.

THE CASE AGAINST KIFFIN1. He doesn’t seem to take things as seriously as he needs to all the time

Alabama football isn’t life or death to its fans; it’s much more important than that. Kiffin’s irreverent style not only tends to rub people the wrong way, but it’s an indication that he’s not the 24/7 “all ball” workaholic Crimson Tide fans have become accustomed to in the Saban age.

2. He does not recruit at an elite level

Kiffin’s last three Ole Miss recruiting classes have all ranked in the mid-teens nationally, not what you’d expect for a coach with his reputation and certainly not up to the level of the top-tier programs in the SEC. He has done a very good job mining the transfer portal, but that doesn’t seem to be enough to sustain a perennial national championship contender.

3. His teams don’t play especially tough on defense

The Rebels were in the middle of the pack in most defensive categories this season — not in the SEC, but in the country. That certainly won’t cut it at Alabama, which has always been a defensive-minded program even in the pre-Saban era.

4. Kiffin’s reputation as a loose cannon will likely scare many away

Kiffin is one of the few unmarried head football coaches in the country, and rumors regarding his “after hours” habits were rampant during his previous time in Tuscaloosa. Said plainly, there are many power brokers around the Alabama program who don’t think he measures up morally to be the Crimson Tide’s head football coach.

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So there’s the case for and the case against Lane Kiffin as Alabama head coach. It’s not yet clear if he’ll receive serious consideration for the job, but it certainly will be a point of discussion until Saban’s replacement is hired — whenever that is.

Creg Stephenson has worked for AL.com since 2010 and has covered college football for a variety of publications since 1994. Contact him at cstephenson@al.com or follow him on Twitter/X at @CregStephenson.