Nick Saban calls for change in college football in response to Lane Kiffin coaching rumors

With Lane Kiffin’s future once again dominating the headlines, Nick Saban used his appearance on College GameDay this week to shift the conversation away from gossip and toward what he believes is a growing problem in college football. 

Rumors have surged in recent days that LSU is the front-runner to lure Kiffin away from Ole Miss. Florida is reportedly sitting third behind the Tigers and the Rebels. Ole Miss AD Keith Carter acknowledged Friday that clarity is expected after next week’s Egg Bowl.

However, Saban wasn’t interested in debating destinations. Instead, he pointed to the chaotic coaching landscape as evidence that college football needs a fundamental reset, and it’s not on Kiffin to figure it out. 

“Everybody should be thinking about the players,” Saban said. “Players should be able to play for their coach for the entire season. Players shouldn’t be penalized if a coach leaves, because the committee has the opportunity, if a player or coach doesn’t participate, they can sink you in the rankings.” 

With Ole Miss positioned for a potential Playoff push, Saban noted that instability around a head coach’s future could unfairly punish the athletes on the field. He went on to outline what he sees as a broken system. 

In the NFL, Saban explained, coaches can’t leave their team midseason and aren’t allowed to speak with other organizations until their current season ends or a defined postseason window opens. College football operates with no such guardrails, forcing programs to fire coaches early, accelerate searches and negotiate with candidates midseason, all while navigating recruiting and the transfer portal simultaneously. 

“We should match the academic calendar with the football calendar,” Saban added, arguing that early signing day, and the resulting urgency from schools desperate to secure a coach before the portal opens, creates chaos. According to Saban, moving key dates would stabilize the sport and ultimately protect players. 

Shifting hiring windows, eliminating early signing day and pushing major recruiting cycles into May would allow teams to finish seasons with continuity. Even spring practice, he suggested, could be replaced with OTA-style summer sessions to remove pressure from the fall. 

“This is not a Lane Kiffin conundrum,” he concluded. “This is a college football conundrum, and we need some leadership to step up and change the rules.” 

In his view, if you asked the Ole Miss players themselves? They’d want their coach on the sideline until the very end, wherever Kiffin ultimately chooses to be next year. Whether that comes to fruition for the Rebels or not remains to be seen.