UCLA lost its offensive coordinator to an SEC West program, then attempted to fill the vacancy with another coordinator from a program in the same conference and the same division. Reportedly.
According to Brett McMurphy, UCLA offered their coordinator job to Alabama’s Lane Kiffin prior to the College Football Playoff championship game this past Monday. Kiffin, though, turned down the opportunity in the days leading up to the title game against Clemson.
After (reportedly) being turned down by Kiffin, head coach Jim Mora promoted running backs coach Kennedy Polamalu earlier this week to replace Noel Mazzone, who left to take over the offense at Texas A&M.
Kiffin just completed his second season with the Tide, and, in that time, has completely rehabilitated an image that was battered by a one-year stint as the head coach at Tennessee as well as an underwhelming turn as USC’s head coach that ended in an in-season dismissal. That latter job would’ve certainly added another level of intrigue to the cross-town rivalry between UCLA and USC had he accepted the Bruins’ (reported) offer.
As it is, given how the Tide’s offense has performed in its two seasons with Kiffin at the wheel, this likely won’t be the last rumor connecting the coordinator to another job. In fact, if he has a third year in Tuscaloosa that mirrors his previous two, you’ll likely hear his name mentioned once the head-coaching rumor mill cranks up during the 2016 season.