Nick Saban Warned Staff to Keep Lane Kiffin Away from ‘Sorority Girls’ at Alabama, New Book Claims

Nick Saban, the legendary former University of Alabama head coach, was reportedly so alarmed by Lane Kiffin’s off-field behavior during his time as offensive coordinator that he warned staff to keep the coach away from college students, according to a new book by CBS Sports reporter John Talty.

Talty’s upcoming book, Lane Being Lane: The Story of Lane Kiffin, College Football’s Agent of Chaos, details Kiffin’s two-year stint in Tuscaloosa from 2014 to 2016, a period marked by both on-field success and personal turmoil. The book, which is set for release on September 15, was first reported by Vanity Fair.

Saban’s Warning to Staff

According to Talty, Saban became so frustrated with reports of Kiffin’s late-night bar activity and attempts to meet women that he issued a pointed directive to his staff.

“You’ve got to keep Lane away from the girls that are in college,” Saban reportedly said. “Just keep him away from the sorority girls. Make sure they’ve graduated college or are working a job.”

The warning came after Saban’s wife, Terry, heard from friends that Kiffin—who was living apart from his wife and children during his Alabama tenure—was frequently out in Tuscaloosa trying to pick up women, Talty writes.

Kiffin’s wife, Layla, and their children never relocated to Alabama, remaining in California. The couple eventually divorced during Kiffin’s final year in Tuscaloosa.

Bar-hopping and a Golf Cart Incident

Talty paints a picture of Kiffin spending many nights at local bars, particularly Innisfree Irish Pub, where staff allegedly fielded calls from the co-owner about Kiffin’s behavior.

“On at least one occasion, an Alabama staffer had to go to Innisfree Irish Pub to retrieve a golf cart Kiffin had left there the night before,” Talty writes.

Innisfree co-owner Derick Purdy allegedly called the school multiple times to report that Kiffin was in the bar “asking where the hotties are” and requesting that bar workers introduce him to women. Another individual told Talty that Kiffin was in the bars so often that they feared he would “drink himself to death.”

Reportedly Cost Him the Head Coaching Job

The book also suggests that Kiffin’s off-field antics played a significant role in his being passed over as Saban’s eventual successor in 2023. Though Kiffin had been a successful head coach at Ole Miss, multiple sources told Talty that his behavior in Tuscaloosa had burned bridges.

“Multiple Alabama sources insisted,” Talty wrote, “that Kiffin’s behavior during his time in Tuscaloosa precluded him from ever succeeding Nick Saban and becoming the Crimson Tide’s head coach. He had upset too many important people, and the stories were too well-known for it to be palatable for those in power.”

Kiffin, who has built a reputation as one of college football’s most colorful characters, has not publicly responded to the claims in Talty’s book.

The report comes as Kiffin continues to lead Ole Miss, where he has been a consistent contender in the SEC. But the new book casts a spotlight on the personal conduct that, according to Talty, caused serious concern among Alabama’s leadership more than a decade ago.

Lane Being Lane is expected to offer a deeper look into Kiffin’s career, from his early coaching stops to his time at Alabama and beyond.

Source: www.breitbart.com — https://www.breitbart.com/sports/2026/09/02/report-nick-saban-warned-about-lane-kiffin-hooking-up-with-college-girls-at-alabama/