Kiffin: Saban shapes players and coaches

Lane Kiffin remembers showing up to Nick Saban's house with a list of 32 questions during the offseason before his last year as head coach at Southern California.

Coming off a 7-6 year with the Trojans, Kiffin sought advice from Saban, who he called "someone that's the best at it."

"I was like you guys (reporters), sitting there taking notes while he sat in his chair," Kiffin said, smiling.

Kiffin said Saban, who was vacationing at his lake house, flew back for the three-to-four hour meeting that summer. The questions ranged from how Saban structured practices to how he implemented his "player committee," a group of players who help make decisions for the team.

Saban answered every question Kiffin had.

"One thing people probably don't understand about him is that he is about helping these kids, and he is about helping the coaches grow," Kiffin said. "He is about coaches getting new jobs and improving."

When watching Saban coach on the sidelines or how he handled press conferences, Kiffin said he always thought he and Saban had more in common than people knew.

"The discipline, the toughness and the style (are things we have in common) and I think that's why it's worked," Kiffin said. "There are a lot of similarities there that people wouldn't think about it, and it's why we genuinely get along."

The relationship Kiffin and

Saban have built is part of the reason Kiffin returned to Tuscaloosa for a second season as Alabama's offensive coordinator.

Kiffin and Alabama are back in the College Football Playoff for the second straight year. The Crimson Tide will face Michigan State in the Cotton Bowl on New Year's Eve at 7 p.m. CT on ESPN.

Kiffin had opportunities to leave Alabama after year one, but he stuck around in part because of how last season ended.

Last offseason, Kiffin was linked to the San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator opening. While not mentioning any specific jobs, Kiffin said "it didn't feel right" making the jump after one year.

"There were some opportunities last year, and it just didn't feel right," Kiffin said. "I've kind of always been this way that whatever the challenge was I didn't care, I just wanted to accept it and not really think it through very much and just go. But (Saban) really took a chance on me when the phone wasn't ringing, at least for assistant coaching jobs, it wasn't two years ago.

"I just felt like we didn't really finish what we started last year and to see if we can do it this year and finish how we should have finished last year and give him another championship."

After posting school records on offense with the passing game last season, Kiffin has adjusted to this team's personnel to produce a more run-heavy attack.

Tide running back and Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry leads the way as quarterback Jake Coker and the passing game help keep defenses honest.

Along with adapting to the players, Coker said Kiffin has also fostered a better relationship with the rest of the Tide's offensive staff.

"I think he's gotten laid back, but I also think that all the other coaches have a better understanding of what he wants," Coker said. "They've all just gotten more comfortable with the style, the play-calling style and technique and what coach Kiffin wants. So I think he's been able to lay off a little bit because they all have an understanding of what they need to do."

Contact Anniston Star Sports Writer Marq Burnett at mburnett @Marq_Burnett.

This story was originally published December 27, 2015 at 10:20 PM with the headline "Kiffin: Saban shapes players and coaches ."