Nick Saban hires Lane Kiffin to be Alabama’s offensive coordinator

Lane Kiffin is back in college football.

The former USC head coach has been hired as Alabama’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, Crimson Tide Coach Nick Saban announced Friday.

“We are excited to have Lane join our staff,” Saban said in a statement on Alabama’s website. “He is an outstanding and creative offensive coach who has great experience both at the college and NFL level. He has a very good understanding of the game and I have always been impressed with what I saw in the games he called.

“He coaches with a great deal of passion and enthusiasm, and also does an excellent job as a teacher. Lane will be an outstanding addition to our coaching staff and we look forward to him and his family joining us at the University of Alabama.”

Kiffin, 38, was 28-15 in three-plus seasons at USC. He was fired by USC Athletic Director Pat Haden on Sept. 29.

Kiffin spent a week at Alabama last month observing the program. He and Saban share the same agent, Jimmy Sexton.

“We want to thank the University of Alabama and Coach Saban for this tremendous opportunity, and we feel humbled and honored to be a part of the Crimson Tide family,” Kiffin said in a statement. “I’ve always had the utmost respect for what Coach Saban has done with his programs. Having the unique opportunity to be here last month, I was able to meet some of the great players and the great people in the organization, and I’m very excited to start working with them. We’ve seen the passion and support of the Alabama fans firsthand, and when that’s combined with the storied history and tradition of the program, this is a very special place to coach.”

Kiffin returns to the Southeastern Conference, where he coached in 2009 at Tennessee.

Kiffin’s short stint with the Volunteers was marked by controversy, as was his exit in January 2010 to become Pete Carroll’s successor at USC.