FILE - In this Thursday, Aug. 31, 2017, file photo, former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward walks the sidelines before an NFL preseason football game against the Carolina Panthers in Charlotte, N.C. On Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2018, the Alliance of American Football, an eight-team spring league that begins play the weekend after the Super Bowl, will stage a
Former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward is reportedly joining the coaching staff at Florida Atlantic University.
Per Shane Marinelli of FAU Owl's Nest, Ward is expected to work in an off-field coaching role with the Owls alongside receivers coach Joey Thomas.
Ward spent the past two seasons as an offensive assistant on Adam Gase's staff with the New York Jets. It marked his first official coaching job since retiring from the NFL after the 2011 season.
Prior to working with the Jets, Wardworkedwith Pittsburgh Steelers wide receivers as an offensive intern during the 2017 preseason.
Ward spent his entire 14-year playing career with the Steelers from 1998-2011. He was named to the Pro Bowl four times and is one of14 playersin NFL history with 1,000 receptions.
Willie Taggart, a former college quarterback at Western Kentucky, is entering his second season as head coach at Florida Atlantic. The Owls went 5-4 overall and lost to Memphis in the Montgomery Bowl during the 2020 season.
North Texas LB Commit Willie Simmons III Killed in Shooting
Apr 19, 2021
Pelham High School football field is seen, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2016, where Clemson football head coach Dabo Swinney attended high school, in Pelham, Ala. Clemson will now play Alabama in the NCAA college football championship game on Monday. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Two high school athletes were among those killed in a shooting in Austin, Texas, on Sunday, according to Mark Schlabach of ESPN.
The Elgin Independent School District confirmed in a statement football player Willie Simmons III and basketball player Alyssa Broderick were both fatally shot. A third woman has not been identified by police.
Simmons signed a letter of intent with North Texas and was set to join the team this summer.
"We are heartbroken by the news of this senseless tragedy, and we extend our deepest condolences to the families of Willie Simmons III and Alyssa Broderick," Elgin ISD Superintendent Jodi Duron said in a statement. "The Elgin ISD community grieves the loss of these two young, promising souls."
Simmons was a two-time unanimous First Team All-District selection at linebacker as well as a three-time Academic All-District honoree and member of the National Honor Society, per hiscollege profile.
"Strong, both academically and athletically, he represented the very best of Elgin ISD," Duron said.
Police have arrested Stephen Broderick, a former sheriff's office detective, in connection with the shooting, perCNN.com. Authorities said Broderick knew all three victims, although a motive is not yet known.
No. 16 Marshall Beats Middle Tennessee 42-14 on 50th Anniversary of Plane Crash
Nov 14, 2020
Marshall Thundering Herd quarterback Grant Wells (8) runs the ball during an NCAA football game against the Appalachian State Mountaineers on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020 in Huntington, W.VA. (AP Photo/Emilee Chinn)
Marshall stayed undefeated with a 42-14 win over Middle Tennessee State on Saturday, but the victory meant more for the program because of the date.
The win came on the 50th anniversary of the Nov. 14, 1970, plane crash that killed 75 people, including most of the team's players and coaches.
The players honored those who died with black uniforms and a No. 75 decal, with redshirt freshman quarterback Grant Wells and others holding their helmets high:
"We knew that this game was going to mean so much to this fanbase and this community," Wells said after the game, via ESPN. "That's huge, no matter wherever we're playing or whoever we're playing. The fact that we could do this on the 50th anniversary is amazing."
The anniversary was especially important for the program and the town—Huntington, West Virginia—that showed continued support after the disaster:
The Thundering Herd are 7-0 with three games left in the regular season. They're looking to join the 1999 team as the only undefeated squads in program history. They entered Week 11 ranked No. 16 in the Associated Press poll.
Report: Louisiana Tech Football Had 38 COVID-19 Cases After Hurricane Laura
Sep 8, 2020
Texas running back Keaontay Ingram (26) is hit by Louisiana Tech safety L'Jarius Sneed (1) on a run during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2019, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Thirty-eight Louisiana Tech football players have tested positive for COVID-19 in the aftermath of Hurricane Laura, per Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports.
Before Hurricane Laura, only one Louisiana Tech player had tested positive over a three-week period despite officials administering 350 tests to players, per Thamel.
The storm eliminated power in 90 percent of the area for seven to 10 days, and that led to players seeking safe havens elsewhere, per Thamel.
Louisiana Tech is located in Ruston, Louisiana, which was hit particularly hard by the storm. Of note, 95 percent of the city's electrical grid was taken out, per Isabel Albritton of myarklamiss.com.
The need to be safe amid potentially life-threatening circumstances made it difficult to socially distance, as Thamel noted.
In response, Louisiana Tech's scheduled game against Baylor on Saturday has been postponed.
The Louisiana Tech vs. Baylor contest isn't the only game that has been postponed because of COVID-19. In the Big 12 alone, three games have been pushed.
The TCU vs. SMU matchup was scheduled for Friday, but per an announcement from Horned Frogs athletic director Jeremiah Donati, some athletes and support staff recently tested positive for COVID-19.
A Tulsa vs. Oklahoma State game previously scheduled for Sept. 12 is now pushed to Sept. 19.
Multiple Golden Hurricanes players had tested positive for COVID-19, and the team's practice schedule has been truncated in response, per the Associated Press, necessitating more recovery time and on-field work before playing a game.
Other matchups that have been postponed include NC State at Virginia Tech, Marshall at East Carolina, ULM at Troy, Temple at Navy, Rice at Marshall and UAB at Rice, per Ralph D. Russo of the Associated Press.
North Texas' Tate Wallis Arrested for Alleged Improper Relationship with Student
Sep 3, 2020
Footballs used by the Northwestern team are seen on the filed before an NCAA college football game against Nebraska in Lincoln, Neb., Saturday, Nov. 4, 2017. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)
The quarterbacks coach at North Texas was arrested Thursday on counts of an improper relationship with a student, according to Brett Vito of the Denton Record-Chronicle.
Vito reports that Tate Wallis was arrested after the discovery of an alleged relationship when he was an offensive coordinator at Argyle High School in Texas last year before joining North Texas. The university has placed him on administrative leave.
Wallis was charged with two counts of an improper relationship between a student and educator in Denton County, Texas and was released on $20,000 bond.
The offenses date back to October and December of 2019 when he was a high school coach.
“We have been made aware of charges brought against a member of our football coaching staff for a matter unrelated to his employment with the university," North Texas said in a statement obtained byVito. "The employee has been placed on administrative leave and will not be allowed on campus or to participate in any job-related duties while on leave. We have initiated a review of the available information, and we will take appropriate action following completion of the review.”
Before joining North Texas, Wallis coached at Baylor University from 2009-2015 as a member of Art Briles' staff coaching wide receivers and was a two-year letterman at quarterback for SMU in 2002 and 2003.
Wallis has previously been sanctioned by the NCAA for impermissible contact with recruits while at Baylor and was suspended one game.
"I'm really looking forward to adding Coach Wallis to our staff," North Texas head coach Seth Littrellsaidin announcing Wallis' hiring. "He's been very successful everywhere he has been and will bring another creative dynamic to what we can do offensively. I'm excited about welcoming him into our family and can't wait to see him have the opportunity to work with our very talented quarterback room."
North Texas is set to open the season on Saturday, Sept. 5 against Houston Baptist University.
Aubrey Hill, Former Florida WR and FIU Coach, Dies at 48 from Cancer
Aug 17, 2020
A group of footballs waits for warmups prior to an NCAA college football game between North Carolina State and the Ball State in Raleigh, N.C., Saturday, Sept. 21, 2019. (AP Photo/Karl B DeBlaker)
Florida International University receivers coach Aubrey Hill died of cancer Sunday, the school announced.
The 48-year-old was heading into his fourth season at FIU after also spending time at Florida, Miami, Duke, Pittsburgh and Elon, mostly spending time leading the receivers. He was a head coach at the high school level for four years as well, leading Miami Carol City to a state championship in 2016.
FIU head coach Butch Davis provided a statement on Hill:
"It was a shock to learn of Aubrey's passing tonight after his long battle with cancer. Aubrey was loved and adored by so many who saw him not only as a coach but as an amazing husband and father. We mourn his loss, but we will also hold on to the great memories he left behind and how honored we all were to be a part of his life. We pray for his family and loved ones during this difficult time."
"One of the greatest men I've ever been around," Davis added, per Brett McMurphy of Stadium.
Multiple NFL players also expressed their sympathies:
Hill had already produced impressive results on the coaching level, but he is arguably better known for his playing career at Florida.
He totaled 18 receiving touchdowns on 87 receptions during his five years with the team, including seven touchdowns as a team captain during his senior season in 1994. The Gators won three SEC Championships under head coach Steve Spurrier during Hill's time with the program.
Deion Sanders' Son Shedeur Commits to FAU over Alabama, More; 4-Star QB Recruit
Sanders, a 4-star recruit, is the No. 14 pro-style quarterback and No. 219 player overall in the 2021 class, per 247Sports' composite rankings.
Steve Wiltfongof 247Sports wrote the Cedar Hill, Texas, native is the highest-ranked recruit to join the Owls since the site started its ranking system.
Through his first three years of high school, Sanders has thrown for 8,796 yards, 123 touchdowns and 19 interceptions.
.@ShedeurSanders one of the best quarterbacks from Class of 2021. 💯
FAU just got a commitment from ESPN 300 quarterback Shedeur Sanders, the son of Deion Sanders.
He's the first ESPN 300 commitment for the Owls since ESPN started its rankings in 2009 and gives new coach Willie Taggart a good option after Chris Robison is gone. @espncfbpic.twitter.com/SQe9WMB010
Florida Atlantic head coach Willie Taggart targeted Sanders when he coached at Florida State, the alma mater of Sanders' father.
"When I went there, Coach Taggart just showed a lot of love," Sanders said of a visit to Florida State in January 2019, per Noles247'sChris Nee. "I just can tell it is a change that is going to happen in a program. This year was an all right year, but I know they are going to have some great ones coming."
Florida State fired Taggart last November before he could finish his second full season in charge. Deion Sanders signaled his frustration with the move at the time:
The difference between us is vision. I look big picture u look at the now. Now what’s your plan and how long u give it to work. What if your son went to FSU to play and got red shirted and played sparingly his 2nd season. Should u give up on him? I got time. https://t.co/X4LPiJEQCU
Taggart landed on his feet at Florida Atlantic in December, replacing Lane Kiffin after Kiffin left to coach Ole Miss.
Chris Robison threw for 3,701 yards, 28 touchdowns and six interceptions as a redshirt sophomore in 2019. Assuming Robison exhausts his eligibility, Sanders will have a year to learn before the Owls' starting quarterback job will be up for grabs.
Kiffin laid the groundwork, guiding FAU to 11-win seasons in 2017 and 2019, and the arrival of Taggart was a sign of the program's ambitions. Landing skilled prep players such as Sanders should help the Owls take the next step forward.
And by opting for Florida Atlantic, Sanders has the opportunity to carve his own legacy on the gridiron.
UAB Football Signee Jamari Smith Dies at Age 18
May 28, 2020
A group of footballs waits for warmups prior to an NCAA college football game between North Carolina State and the Ball State in Raleigh, N.C., Saturday, Sept. 21, 2019. (AP Photo/Karl B DeBlaker)
Lee High School class of 2020 graduate Jamari Smith died from drowning in a lake at Chewacla State Park in Auburn, Alabama, on Wednesday.
"Smith was located underwater in the lake. Advanced life support measures were immediately initiated, and he was rushed to the emergency room of East Alabama Medical Center. Efforts to revive Smith were unsuccessful, and he was pronounced dead in the emergency room at 6:05 p.m.
"[Coroner Bill] Harris said Smith was with friends swimming at the lake when he apparently became tired and went under. 911 was called as the friends attempted to locate Smith."
The 18-year-old starred in basketball and football at Lee High School in Montgomery, Alabama. The basketball team confirmed Smith's death, while others mourned him:
It is with heavy hearts that we must confirm the passing of our beloved Jamari “Chop” Smith @jayy_primo23. We ask for you to pray for his family. We also ask that you give them privacy at this time. Chop we love you always. pic.twitter.com/aYIJlq1ttE
— Percy Julian High School 🏀 (@bball_lee) May 28, 2020
Smith had signed with the University of Alabama at Birmingham to play football in early February:
WR-Jamari “Chop” Smith signs with University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB)!!!! Congrats Jamari we wish you the best of luck!!!! pic.twitter.com/p4feVAuWbm
Later that month, Smith and the Lee Generals captured the school's first state championship by defeating Mountain Brook 40-38. Smith had hit a free throw with 18.2 seconds remaining in regulation to help secure the victory, and he was overcome with emotion afterward:
. @jayy_primo23 overcome with emotions after winning the championship! “I just won my first state championship oh my god!!!” “Mom, I just won my first state championship!!” This is what pure joy looks like!@ALNewsNetwork#LACEUPpic.twitter.com/U3Wt36YR33
No foul play is suspected in Smith's death, per Robinson, though an investigation is underway.
3-Star QB Willie Taggart Jr. Submits FAU Letter of Intent to Play for Father
Feb 5, 2020
Florida State head football coach Willie Taggart watches the basketball game in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Duke with son's Jackson and Willie, Jr. in Tallahassee, Fla., Saturday, Jan. 12, 2019. Duke defeated Florida State 80-78. (AP Photo/Mark Wallheiser)
Quarterback Willie Taggart Jr. signed his letter of intent Wednesday to play college football at Florida Atlantic for his father, new Owls head coach Willie Taggart.
Taggart is a 3-star prospect who also received offers from Appalachian State and Florida State, per 247Sports.
In December, his dad toldPete Thamelof Yahoo Sports that making his son an offer early in his high school career while he was head coach at FSU was a mistake because other major programs didn't make the effort to recruit him.
"We moved him all over the place," the elder Taggart said. "He had three high schools in four years. Senior year [at Florida State University School], he finally got the nod and took his school to state for the first time in school history. He had a heck of a year."
Taggart is a dual-threat quarterback who helped lead the high school Noles to the Florida Class 3A championship game as a senior, his first year as a full-time starter.
He completed 59.2 percent of his throws for 2,165 yards with 20 touchdowns and 10 interceptions across 14 games. He added 876 rushing yards and 10 scores on the ground.
Taggart likely isn't a candidate for immediate playing time at FAU. The Owls feature Chris Robison atop the QB depth chart after his breakout sophomore campaign in 2019 in which he threw 28 touchdowns and six picks in 14 games.
A redshirt may be an option with four other quarterbacks—including last year's backup, Nick Tronti—already on the roster to fight for the top reserve role.
Taggart does feature ample potential, but he's still a raw talent with a limited amount of snaps under his belt. An extra year of development can't hurt while waiting for the Owls' depth chart to thin out.
Introspective and at Peace, Lane Kiffin Talks About His Path to a Happier Place
Adam Kramer
Sep 24, 2019
FILE - In this Sept. 1, 2018, file photo, Florida Atlantic head coach Lane Kiffin gestures in the first half of an NCAA college football game against Oklahoma in Norman, Okla. Florida Atlantic entered the season with aspirations of playing its way into the debate about who's worthy of berths in the College Football Playoff. The Owls' chances already have taken a hit, however they still have plenty of motivation heading into a visit to No. 16 UCF. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, File)
BOCA RATON, Fla. — In Lane Kiffin's reasonably-sized office, it's the expansive library that grabs your eye first.
Not the ceremonial rings and watches stationed on the front of his desk—tokens of previous coaching tenures that are recruiting ammunition for him as the head coach at Florida Atlantic. Not the pictures of his children scattered throughout the room. Not the flat-screen television frozen on a practice rep—four days before FAU will take on Ohio State as a colossal underdog in the season opener.
Not the "Winning in Paradise" sign or the satiric name plate that reads "Mr. Wonderful."
No, as Kiffin leans back in his chair, his feet propped on the desk, it's the books collected behind him that stand out, largely because of what they are not. They aren't playbooks. In fact, they apparently have nothing to do with football at all. But these books have had an impact on Kiffin far greater than anything strictly to do with his profession.
There is Ego Is the Enemy. Next to that, The Coffee Bean: A Simple Lesson to Create Positive Change. And, in the stacks of hard and soft covers, a book that Kiffin is particularly fond of: The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For?
Call them self-help books. Motivational reads. To each person, they may mean something different. To Kiffin, they've meant everything as he explores the kind of person he hopes to become.
Two years ago, The Purpose Driven Life was sent to Kiffin by the Tennessee team chaplain. The first sentence on the first page was highlighted in neon yellow.
"It's not about you."
"I didn't understand that when I was young because it was about me," Kiffin says as he flips through the pages. "I do more with the players now. I genuinely care about their development and want to help them through things. I used to help them, but I helped them with one thing: football.
"I'd get you drafted higher than anywhere else," he continues. "I was going to give you everything in that aspect. But did I do anything else for you?"
By leaving the spotlight that trailed him from one high-profile coaching drama to the next, Kiffin has found serenity. He recognizes the stigmas that exist about him. He also understands he probably won't change them, no matter how good his tweets are.
Twitter has unquestionably helped him remake his image. But the flood of honest, witty tweets he unleashes on a daily basis fail to capture the true transformation.
Once the poster child for expedited coaching ascension, Kiffin has found tranquility in a sleepy Florida town that is still learning to love its program—a program that's in its 19th season and has won eight or more games only four times. Under Kiffin, FAU has gone 11-3 and 5-7.
Curious about how one of the sport's most recognized and polarizing coaches has adjusted to life away from the spotlight, Bleacher Report went behind the scenes with Kiffin as his third season at FAU was about to kick off. It is clear the drive and the passion haven't disappeared. But there's another side to Kiffin taking shape—a side most assumed he never had.
"I want to win football games," he says. "That's important and everything, but that's not the only thing. Because if that's truly the only thing, you won't be very happy. I've lived it."
The sound of jet engines coming and going from nearby Boca Raton Airport Authority breaks up the silence of the offensive staff meeting, as coaches settle into their chairs and eat their lunches.
There's plenty of youth in this assemblage, starting at the head of the table with Kiffin, who's wearing red basketball shorts and a long white-sleeve shirt soaked in sweat from practice. The former head coach of USC, Tennessee and the Oakland Raiders is 44 years old.
Compared with some of his assistants, he's almost ancient. His offensive coordinator, Charlie Weis Jr., is 26 years old. His tight ends coach, former Florida State-turned-West Virginia quarterback Clint Trickett, is 28. His running backs coach, UCF great Kevin Smith, is 32.
This week, the assignment for one of the nation's youngest staffs is daunting. Preparing for a team with the talent and resource advantages of Ohio State is never easy. This particular year, it's more demanding than usual.
"It's a very complicated game," Kiffin says. "[Ohio State has a] new head coach, new quarterback and then a new defensive system, but you don't exactly know which system it is. It's like you've got no idea what to watch."
For the first part of the meeting, Kiffin and his assistants focus on the team's practice from earlier in the day, projected on a screen near the center of the room. After one of the sloppiest practices in recent weeks, the head coach's frustration builds as the miscues add up.
"Get it going," Kiffin says while watching his offensive line. "We're gonna get murdered if it looks like that on Saturday."
BOCA RATON, FL - SEPTEMBER 15: Head coach Lane Kiffin of the Florida Atlantic Owls looks on against the Bethune Cookman Wildcats during the second half at FAU Stadium on September 15, 2018 in Boca Raton, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
For much of his professional life, Kiffin was on the other side of lopsided season openers. After coaching and recruiting some of the nation's most elite athletes, getting accustomed to underdog status has taken some time.
Kiffin accepted the job at FAU after three seasons as the offensive coordinator under Nick Saban at Alabama. While he knew that he would be recruiting different players than he did for the Crimson Tide, he felt confident that he'd be able to successfully navigate the football-rich state of Florida.
"You have these profiles in your head of how every single position should look," Kiffin says. "This is the height, the weight, the speed; and it was that way for a long time. But you're not going to get that here. There's never been an offensive lineman drafted in the history of the school. Not in any round."
As the film session jumps from the team's practice reps to Ohio State's spring game, the obstacle seems to grow larger. Although FAU has faced Oklahoma and UCF and Wisconsin in the last few seasons, life as a cupcake is still relatively new to Kiffin.
"You've got to get some breaks in a game like this," he says. "That's just what happens when you're close to a 30-point underdog.
"Were the players ready to play? Did you manage the game well? Did you substitute well? That's kind of how I look at it now, which is hard to even say. But you've got to be realistic."
No book on Kiffin's shelves offers a closer parallel to his life over the past 10 years than The Coffee Bean: A Simple Lesson to Create Positive Change.
Kiffin dives into an analogy for how he found himself in Boca.
"Put a carrot in boiling water, and it will soften and ultimately weaken," he says. "If you put an egg in boiling water, it will become agitated and harden. But the coffee bean will take that water and change it. It'll turn it into coffee that smells good, embracing the adversity going on to make everything around it better."
When Kiffin was fired from USC in September of 2013, he became a carrot. Then, he became an egg. The spectacle of his firing—a raw moment that played out in the open—left him heartbroken and bitter.
"When you're in L.A. and you get fired at the airport at 4 a.m., you don't want to go anywhere," he says. "It was painful and embarrassing. And I felt miserable and angry at everybody for a little while. I realized then that I was defined as the head coach at USC, and that's all I was defined as."
The months that followed, a time of self-reflection, allowed him to come to terms with all that brought him to this point. The string of turbulent stops that culminated with the lowest point of his career—from Oakland to Tennessee and finally USC—brought him to this life stage at FAU.
"If that night had never happened, I think I'd still be so just drawn by the chase of the championships and the ego," he says. "I just look at things different now."
FAYETTEVILLE, AR - OCTOBER 8: Offensive Coordinator Lane Kiffin and Head Coach Nick Saban of the Alabama Crimson Tide talk on the sidelines during a game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Razorback Stadium on October 8, 2016 in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Kiffin started over by pairing up with Saban, first in an observing role that December and soon after as Alabama's offensive coordinator.
For a coach whose path had been a whirlwind of turbulent climbing, this was a much different opportunity.
"You go back to being an assistant learning from the best that has ever coached," Kiffin says. "That kind of move will humble you. Knock down your ego. It certainly did for me."
The goal was to relearn what it took to run a football program, with the hope that another opportunity would eventually surface.
He also knew that if he was given another chance to lead, he would treat the people around him better. He would view program success differently—not just through the lens of wins and losses.
This was his coffee-bean moment.
His press conferences these days are outside of the national glare. Most of the time, a handful of local reporters ask him about the depth chart and injuries in a classroom that moonlights as an interview room.
While he still knows how to generate a buzz when he feels it's necessary, mainly through social media, Boca Raton has provided the seclusion he was seeking.
At night, Kiffin can travel to restaurants without being recognized—something he was never afforded at his previous stops.
Unlike most football coaches, Kiffin has never played golf: The water has always been his escape. And in Boca that escape is readily available.
"I am happier on a daily basis when I wake up and come to work," Kiffin says. "They love that you're here, and I can go home, take the boat out every day and catch snook in my backyard."
He pauses momentarily, intersecting his personal and professional life.
"Coaches leave jobs for two things: their ego and money," he says. "So what if I don't make three times or four times more money?"
Over the past couple of years, networks have shown interest in doing behind-the-scenes programs at FAU. It's no question that Kiffin's presence has made these opportunities possible. And while they could provide significant publicity to optimize recruiting and elevate interest in his program, Kiffin has denied each request.
"I just felt it wasn't the right timing for now," Kiffin says. "It felt really good to be able to just coach."
One of the other reasons Kiffin is uneasy about doing an all-access show is because he worries about his assistants having to publicly endure criticism in practice—an experience that hits close to home.
"There's a lot of head coaches that love that," he says." I don't want these guys to go through that with cameras around."
One of the assistants on the defensive staff is his father, Monte Kiffin, who started his career as a graduate assistant at Nebraska in the 1960s.
The luxury of being able to work alongside his father, a football lifer at age 79, is not lost on Lane as he lives his mid-40s. But he also doesn't see himself coaching and consuming football like his father for 30 more years.
He laughs at the notion that he could one day coach alongside his son, Knox. But his commitment to the sport and FAU is significant: He's on a 10-year contract that will keep him with the Owls through 2027. It's a commitment he intends to see through.
What actually happens before or after 2027 remains to be seen. Kiffin isn't sure what he would do without football in his life.
"My mom says I could've been a lawyer just because I used to like to argue a lot," he says with a smile. "I used to argue a lot and always had to be right."
Whatever comes next, right now he is clearly comfortable. Content. Relaxed. Which are not emotional states this profession often allows or encourages.
The first quarter at Ohio State goes as expected. Undersized and overwhelmed, FAU falls behind 28 points to the Buckeyes almost instantaneously.
But in a natural course of play, the game begins to tighten. It's never in doubt, but the Owls turn what initially has the look of a momentous blowout into a satisfactory 45-21 loss filled with moral victories.
The following week, FAU falls to UCF by 34 points. The first win comes at Ball State the next Saturday, when Kiffin and his players break through 41-31.
In his previous coaching world, a 10-point victory over Ball State wouldn't have meant much to Kiffin. But here, it's a springboard and a potentially season-saving win. (The Owls are now 2-2 after beating Wagner this past Saturday.)
In the next six months, FAU will open the Schmidt Family Complex for Athletic and Academic Excellence—a state-of-the-art facility with locker rooms, a weight room, practice fields and amenities that will change the way the football program operates and recruits.
The distance between FAU and the extensive list of programs it is chasing will grow shorter. Kiffin, who has been active in the construction of the facility, recognizes how much this could impact his professional life. It's also not a new factor that will sway his loyalty to his current job one way or another.
"As I've gotten older, I've realized I'd rather make less and live in a place that I really love," Kiffin says. "I'm at a place in my life where what's important to me is just different from when I was 30 years old."
The road to get here has been long. Painful. Maddening. Revealing. It has taken many years and jobs for Kiffin to find happiness—a situation that is not defined by status or money.
Failure, in many ways, was the best thing that could have happened to him. It's what brought on his own coffee-bean moment. In the years to come, he will still be defined by the success of his football program. As a head coach, the wins and the losses are inescapable.
But one thing will be very different. It will no longer just be about him.
