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Can Lane Kiffin be Alabama football’s Nick Saban successor? He’s expressed doubts

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Can Lane Kiffin be Alabama football’s Nick Saban successor? He’s expressed doubts


OXFORD — Nick Saban is retiring as Alabama football’s coach after 17 seasons and seven total national championships. And fourth-year Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin will be one of the names thrown around when it comes to Saban’s replacement.

Kiffin, 48, served as offensive coordinator under Saban in Tuscaloosa for three seasons, winning a pair of national titles before renewing his head coaching career at FAU in 2017.

But, among the national media reporting on the situation in the immediate aftermath, Kiffin’s name isn’t at the top of the list. Action Network insider Brett McMurphy touted Oregon coach Dan Lanning as Alabama’s most likely target. ESPN reporter Pete Thamel listed Lanning, Kalen DeBoer, Dabo Swinney, James Franklin, Mike Norvell and Marcus Freeman as possible targets.

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Kiffin himself has expressed doubts when it comes to replacing Saban, for whom he has maintained great respect since leaving Alabama.

“What could you possibly do right if you don’t win the national championship every year?” Kiffin told USA TODAY’s Blake Toppmeyer in 2022 . “‘You’re going to follow Nick Saban at Alabama?’ No, that would not be a good decision for anyone.”

Why Alabama football would make sense for Lane Kiffin

The pull of the Alabama job can come down to one word: Ceiling.

The Crimson Tide has won six national championships since 2009. It has played for three more. Ole Miss just finished its first 11-win season ever. Alabama has won 11 games in every season since 2010.

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Since 2011, Alabama has finished atop 247Sports’ recruiting class rankings more than half the time. The level of player consistently available to the Crimson Tide is different than what Kiffin has access to at Ole Miss.

Comments Kiffin made after the Rebels got pummeled this season by Georgia, a program with a similar blue-chip ratio to Alabama’s, are relevant here.

“We would have to recruit at a better level, do a better job of recruiting,” Kiffin said when asked what the Rebels have to do to compete with Georgia.

Kiffin’s familiarity with the program is certainly a factor as well. And, though Kiffin is one of the best-compensated coaches in the sport, earning over $9 million in 2023 once bonuses are considered, a switch to the Crimson Tide would almost certainly come with a considerable pay rise.

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Why Alabama football wouldn’t make sense for Lane Kiffin

All of the points above about Alabama’s ability to require talent at a level Ole Miss can’t belong to a different era of college football.

Alabama, before NIL and the transfer portal changed the sport beyond measure, operated at a level reachable by a select few. Have those changes, and the impending 12-team playoff, made the game’s top tier more accessible?

Ole Miss intends to find out.

The Rebels have one of the best NIL infrastructures in college athletics. And it has translated into sustained success in the transfer portal, culminating in Ole Miss’ best class yet this offseason.

Even so, it’s certainly more difficult to win at the highest level at Ole Miss than it is at Alabama. But that fact comes with intense pressure to deliver. At Ole Miss, Kiffin can sustain an 8-5 season like the one he endured in 2022. He’d lead every hot seat list on the internet if he went 8-5 early in his Alabama tenure.

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There are family factors at play for Kiffin in Oxford, too. Even if he covets the Alabama job, it might make more sense to wait.

David Eckert covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at deckert@gannett.com or reach him on Twitter @davideckert98.

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Alabama NAACP Releases 2026 Selma Jubilee Weekend Schedule

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Alabama NAACP Releases 2026 Selma Jubilee Weekend Schedule


The Alabama State Conference of the NAACP has announced its official schedule for the 2026 NAACP-sponsored Selma Jubilee Bridge Crossing Weekend, set for March 6–8 in Montgomery and Selma.

Held under the theme “A Time for Standing,” the annual commemoration honors the Foot Soldiers of the 1965 Selma-to-Montgomery marches and recognizes the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., John Lewis and Rev. Jesse Jackson for their roles in advancing civil rights and voting access.

The three-day event will bring together national, state and local leaders, along with youth and college chapters, faith partners and community members for activities focused on reflection, education and civic engagement.

Scheduled events include a civic discussion titled “The New Civic Path” on March 6 at the Montgomery Interpretive Center at Alabama State University, followed by a Jubilee Gala that evening at Embassy Suites in Montgomery. On March 7, the Birmingham Metro Branch will host a bus trip to Selma, while a statewide civic engagement training will take place in Montgomery.

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SEE ALSO: Bridge Crossing Jubilee to honor Rev. Jesse Jackson’s legacy in Selma
SEE ALSO: 16th Street Baptist Church: Keeping a Legacy Alive 63 Years Later

On March 8, participants will take part in the Selma Bridge Crossing Jubilee Parade, voter activation efforts, worship services at Brown Chapel AME Church and Tabernacle Baptist Church, and the traditional bridge crossing at the foot of the Edmund Pettus Bridge.

Organizers say the weekend will emphasize continued civic participation and community engagement across Alabama.

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March 6 — Alabama NAACP Selma Bridge Crossing Jubilee Gala 5:30PM Embassy Suites by Hilton, 300 Tallapoosa St, Montgomery, AL 36104

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March 7 — NAACP Birmingham Metro Branch Selma Bridge Crossing Jubilee Bus Trip 8AM–5PM Broad Street and Water Avenue in Selma Alabama

March 7 — Alabama State NAACP Statewide Civic Engagement Training 8–4:15PM Homewood Suites, 7800 EastChase Pkwy, Montgomery, AL 36117

March 8 — Alabama State NAACP in the Selma Bridge Crossing Jubilee Parade 8AM–10AM Begins at 1722 Broad St and concludes at the National Voting Rights Museum

March 8 — Alabama NAACP Statewide Bridge Crossing Jubilee Bus Trip 8AM–5PM Alabama State University, Untenese and Mobile Branch and University of Alabama, Oakwood University, Broad Street and Water Avenue, Selma

March 8 — Alabama NAACP Selma Bridge Crossing Jubilee Participation in Worship Services 10AM–2PM Brown Chapel AME Church and Tabernacle Baptist Church, Selma

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March 8 — Alabama NAACP Youth and College Civic Engagement Voter Activation 8AM–2PM Broad Street and Water Ave, Selma

March 8 — Alabama NAACP Statewide Bridge Crossing 11:15PM – Line up Alabama NAACP Tent on Waters Ave or at the foot of the Edmund Pettus Bridge, Selma



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3 Alabama players who helped their draft stock at 2026 NFL combine

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3 Alabama players who helped their draft stock at 2026 NFL combine



Each player had a pivotal role on the Crimson Tide in 2025.

Alabama had a multitude of former players who performed at an elite level at the NFL combine this past weekend.

Former Alabama star quarterback Ty Simpson was among those who put his talents on full display in Indianapolis, as Simpson continues to emerge as a top quarterback prospect available in April’s draft.

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Numerous Crimson Tide stars on both sides of the football were able to have an excellent showing at the combine as well, with each playmaker a vital component to the Tide’s success in 2025.

Here are three Alabama players who helped their draft stock rise at the NFL combine.

Ty Simpson, Quarterback

Simpson is widely regarded as the best quarterback prospect available outside of Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza. The talented redshirt junior put on an absolute show at the NFL combine, as Simpson delivered multiple perfect throws and put his talents on full display throughout Saturday’s events.

The former Alabama star is a candidate to potentially shine day one in his campaign in the NFL, as Simpson’s draft stock continues to rise prior to April.

Jam Miller, Running Back

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Miller is an extremely fast and athletic running back, despite struggling in the Tide’s backfield last season. The star running back recorded an impressive 4.43u 40-yard dash time, as Miller could very easily shine in the NFL next season with consistent playing time.

Miller was nothing short of elite throughout his entire performance at the combine in Indianapolis, as the former Tide running back continues to rise in a multitude of draft rankings around the football world.

Kadyn Proctor, Offensive Tackle

Proctor played a crucial role on Alabama’s offensive line last season. The star lineman reportedly slimmed down prior to the NFL combine, as Proctor displayed elite speed and athleticism throughout Sunday’s combine in Indianapolis.

Proctor is widely expected to be a mid-to-late first round selection in April, as the talented lineman’s efforts during the combine could quickly begin to work in Proctor’s favor during next month’s draft.

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The 2026 NFL draft will take place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania starting on April 23, as each Crimson Tide star will look to shine throughout their rookie campaign in the NFL.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion.





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Husband, 19, fatally shot wife, 24, himself at Alabama hospital moments after welcoming their first child

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Husband, 19, fatally shot wife, 24, himself at Alabama hospital moments after welcoming their first child


A husband fatally shot his wife before turning the gun on himself at an Alabama hospital just moments after they welcomed their first child on Sunday.

Kynath Terry Jr., 19, gunned down 24-year-old Precious Johnson before fatally shooting himself inside the Baptist Health Brookwood Hospital around 9:30 p.m. Sunday night, WTVM 13 reported.

Johnson delivered a healthy baby just before she was murdered. It’s not immediately clear if the baby was present during the shooting, but police said that Terry and Johnson were the only ones injured.

Kynath Terry Jr., 19, shot 24-year-old Precious Johnson at an Alabama hospital after she gave birth to their child. WVTM

Terry’s mother told the outlet that the couple were having some marital issues leading up to Johnson’s due date, but nothing that made her fear her son would become violent.

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She told the outlet that Terry completed Army National Guard training before tying the knot with Johnson.

She noted that Johnson didn’t want Terry’s side of the family at the hospital for her child’s birth, but it’s unclear if anyone from the mother-to-be’s own family was there.

The hospital was plunged into a lockdown “out of an abundance of caution” while police investigated reports of a shooting. It wasn’t lifted until hours later when they determined there was “no active threat to patients, team members or the public,” the outlet reported.

The Homewood Police Department described the tragedy as “an apparent murder-suicide and is domestic in nature.”

Terry completed Army National Guard training before marrying Johnson. WVTM
The shooting sent Brookwood Baptist Medical Center into an hours-long lockdown. Google Maps

Danne Howard, the president of the Alabama Hospital Association, told the outlet that the chilling attack “was an isolated incident” unlike anything she’d encountered during her three decades working in the state.

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Howard said, in the wake of the tragedy, the Baptist Health Brookwood Hospital would undergo a security overhaul implementing “lessons learned” from a mandated after-action report.

Just three months ago, in a town six miles outside of Homewood, a beloved sports reporter was fatally shot by her husband before taking his own life. Their 3-year-old son, who was unharmed, led his grandfather to his parents’ bodies.



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