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Lane Kiffin seems to be earning a reputation for quitting teams the moment he sees a better opportunity. His decision to leave the Ole Miss Rebels for the LSU Tigers in November 2025 caused quite the uproar in college football. r Lane Kiffin and Nick Saban (USA Today) Kiffin is an interesting character, and national college sports reporter John Talty tried to capture the life of the current LSU HC so far in his new book – “Lane Being Lane.” One snippet from the book has caught the attention of fans where legendary Alabama coach Nick Saban tried his very best to keep Kiffin on the straight path. The book explains how Kiffin’s lifestyle annoyed several decision-makers during his tenure as the Crimson Tide’s offensive coordinator from 2014 through 2016. Since his family didn’t move with him to Tuscaloosa as he was separated with his wife Layla, Kiffin lost control and spent his nights partying in local bars, per Vanity Fair. Rumors spread for over a year about a Kiffin lookalike flirting and drinking heavily in Tuscaloosa bars. This was the moment he earned his famous alter-ego nickname, “Joey Freshwater.” The rumor went that Kiffin used the fake name “Joey Freshwater” at bars to hide his real identity from women. This made Saban reportedly very concerned about the possibility of Kiffin dating college students. “You’ve got to keep Lane away from the girls that are in college,” Saban said. “Just keep him away from the sorority girls. Make sure they’ve graduated college or are working a job.” “You’ve got to keep Lane away from the girls that are in college,” Nick Saban said according to one former coach. On Lane Kiffin's chaotic Alabama era, Saban's frustrations and nights at Innisfree Irish Pub. @VanityFair excerpt of Lane Being Lane: https://t.co/W217qEGEdd — John Talty (@JTalty) September 2, 2026 Lane Kiffin Was Dismissed Before the National Championship Saban dismissed Kiffin right before the national championship game because he was too distracted by his new head coaching job at Florida Atlantic. Saban nearly fired their shared agent, Jimmy Sexton, due to Kiffin’s antics. Even Sexton had to constantly push Kiffin to stay focused. “Let’s go play the game today,” Sexton said, per AL.com. “Let’s win the game today. If you win games, you’ll get a job. People don’t hire guys who are losing; they hire guys who are winning.” According to Kiffin, modernizing Alabama’s offense was actually Saban’s decision, not his. “I didn’t come in saying, ‘This is what you should do.’ He said, ‘This is what I want you to do. I want to change. I’m tired of people running these plays against us and we don’t have an answer for them.’ Just appreciative of that opportunity.” To this day, in his heart, Kiffin believes the Crimson Tide would have won back-to-back championships if Saban had let him keep calling the plays. More NFL News From Gridiron Heroics - ‘Doesn’t Sit Well With Me’ — Steve Sarkisian Doesn’t Hold Back on NCAA Welcoming Ex NFL Players Back to College - Puka Nacua’s Allegedly Accused of ‘Extreme Betrayal, Abuse’ by Ex-GF Hallie Aiono - Jason Kelce Tags Wife Kylie to Try Bizarre Post-Sex Trick Revealed By Kirk Herbstreit To Conceive Boys - ‘I Disagree With It’ – Titans Called Out by Jared Stillman Over Pulling Media Credentials After Cam Ward Incident Follow me here on Gridiron Heroics and get the latest on the world of NFL and college football. From the drama surrounding Shedeur Sanders, Bill Belichick – Jordon Hudson tea, Brittany Mahomes’ stylish looks to Taylor Swift’s appearances on Chiefs game days, this will be your one-stop shop for all NFL and college football stuff. You can also reach out to Prasen Singh via email at [email protected]. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest sports news, click here!