Florida Atlantic Football

FAU head coach Lane Kiffin understands the reality for Group of Five schools in the FBS, but that doesn't mean he's happy to face No. 5 Ohio State to open the 2019 season.

"There's a lot of different ways to go about these things," Kiffin said Tuesday, per Bucknuts' Patrick Murphy. "Obviously, I didn't schedule these. These were scheduled before we got here, from the last athletic director (Pat Chun). I don't think it is the best idea, especially following with UCF, another team that has been a Top 10 team the last two years."

The Owls head to Columbus on Saturday to play the Buckeyes. The Caesars Palace sportsbook lists FAU as a 27.5-point underdog.

During an interview on The Andy Slater Show, he was blunt about the rationale for games against high-profile opponents where his team is at a clear disadvantage:

AUDIO: Lane Kiffin on today's show

What's the benefit of FAU playing at Ohio State?

Kiffin: "Money"

Gotta love his honesty.

Full interview: https://t.co/Yum724sgrg pic.twitter.com/cd5BhIqEYV

— Andy Slater (@AndySlater) August 23, 2019

Because of the money involved, Kiffin acknowledged the benefits of playing Power Five schools but lobbied for matchups with teams that would suit the Owls a little more.

"The format that I think is the best, because you have to make money, you can't not play these games," he said. "But you can play somebody that pays the same, because the conference pays the same for the most part. It is not that big of a difference."

This is the second straight year FAU has opened against a Top 10 opponent. The Owls lost 63-14 on the road to No. 7 Oklahoma last season. They also played No. 9 Wisconsin in the second week of 2017, losing 31-14.

According to the Sun Sentinel's Matthew DeFranks, FAU received $1.2 million apiece from playing Wisconsin and Oklahoma and will get $1.4 million for playing Ohio State.

Frank Gore Jr., the son of Buffalo Bills running back Frank Gore, has committed to play college football for Lane Kiffin at Florida Atlantic.

The Killian High School (Miami, Florida) star announced his decision via Twitter on Thursday:

https://twitter.com/stn_2lit/status/1136756256306343936

https://twitter.com/stn_2lit/status/1136778392974569473

He also reportedly received offers from Kentucky, Chattanooga and Southern Miss.

According to 247Sports, Gore is a 3-star recruit and is the 74th-ranked running back of his class. He becomes the second 3-star or better recruit in the Owls' 2020 recruiting class, per 247Sports.

While the elder Gore suited up for the Miami Hurricanes (2001-04), the decision has the five-time Pro Bowler's support:

https://twitter.com/frankgore/status/1136835531348701185

The elder Gore ran for 1,975 and 17 touchdowns during his Hurricanes career. After spending the 2018 season with the Miami Dolphins, he signed with the Bills earlier this offseason as he prepares for his 15th NFL season.  

Lane Kiffin and Florida Atlantic University added a pair of recruits with major pedigrees on national signing day.

Terique Owens, son of Pro Football Hall of Fame receiver Terrell Owens, and Warren Sapp II, the son of Hall of Fame defensive tackle Warren Sapp, signed with the team as preferred walk-ons Wednesday, according to ESPN.

Both players are reportedly planning on "blueshirting," which means they should get scholarships next year.

Each prospect has followed their father's position, although Sapp comes in smaller than his father at 6'1", 220 pounds. The defensive lineman still found a way to total 24 sacks last season for Foundation Academy.

Owens (6'3", 175 pounds) comes from Contra Costa Community College after only converting from basketball to football a few years ago. 

FAU finished just 5-7 last season but is hoping to turn things around with a recruiting class that ranks first in Conference USA, per 247Sports.    

Lane Kiffin has a long and storied history of extending scholarship offers to middle schoolers, and it appears Matt Leinart's son Cole has joined that growing list of pre-teen targets.

On Tuesday, Kiffin responded to a tweet from Fox Sports' Bruce Feldman and disclosed Florida Atlantic University has offered the 11-year-old, now in sixth grade, a chance to join the Owls family. 

I did @BruceFeldmanCFB keep up with the news!!! #ColeComingto#thefaU @espn @Rivals @MattLeinartQB https://t.co/YvKBzLJ20J

— Lane Kiffin (@Lane_Kiffin) October 16, 2018

If anyone is going to have the inside track on Cole's commitment, it's Kiffin. 

Not only is the FAU boss renowned as a dogged recruiter, but he has a relationship with Matt that dates back to their time together at USC. While Leinart was commanding the Trojans offense between 2003-05, Kiffin was an assistant on head coach Pete Carroll's coaching staff. 

The question moving forward is if Kiffin will still be at FAU by the time Cole is ready to commit. 

Florida Atlantic's 2018 season got off to a rough start with a 63-14 loss at Oklahoma Saturday, though the Owls' alumni apparently weren't aware of how things played out. 

The Florida Atlantic Alumni Association sent out a series of text messages and updated its website to make it appear as if the Owls upset the seventh-ranked Sooners:

So I just got this text. Yes, let’s celebrate. Could this day get more embarrassing for FAU? pic.twitter.com/7NskZpv3Kx

— Harry Husker (@Harry_Husker) September 1, 2018

Sheeesh FAU website thought we won @OldTakesExposed pic.twitter.com/rjTmJKOLrH

— Domenic Z (@DomZenga) September 1, 2018

It got so bad that Florida Atlantic head coach Lane Kiffin even joked afterward that it was a nice preseason game for Oklahoma. 

"Did you guys enjoy that preseason game?" Kiffin said, via the Associated Press (h/t ESPN.com). "It didn't really count, right?"

One potential justification for the mistake could be 

Uh whoever is in charge of the text machine @FAU needs needs to pay attention to the game. 😂😂😂 #FAUvsOKLA #FAUvsOU pic.twitter.com/jwP9QsmLer

— Rod pitchblack (@R_DESINORD) September 1, 2018

Florida Atlantic did outscore Oklahoma 14-7 over the final 20 minutes in the second half. The problem is the Owls were already trailing by 56 at that point. 

Lane Kiffin's phone call is 14 minutes late. When it finally arrives, an Alabama area code flashes across the screen—a remnant from his former life.

It's late June, and he's calling from Los Angeles, where he was once fired on an airport tarmac after a football game.

"I've been here four days and haven't stopped for one picture or autograph yet, and I was head coach at USC," says Kiffin, now in his second season as head coach at Florida Atlantic University. "In Alabama, where I wasn't even a head coach, I'd have a hundred by the time I made it out of the airport."

After winning 11 games during his first season at FAU, with his team scoring more touchdowns than all but four programs nationwide, Kiffin is taking some time off in California, where he's attending his daughter's volleyball tournament.

Since he began his coaching career in 1997, the 43-year-old has been a part of national championships and College Football Playoff runs. He's worked for Pete Carroll and Nick Saban, establishing himself as a top-flight offensive play-caller and recruiter.

He's also experienced very sudden, very public exits from jobs with the Oakland Raiders, Tennessee, Southern Cal and Alabama.

Despite some initial reservations about the call, 28 minutes go by and Kiffin gradually opens up. Football is the backdrop, but Kiffin is about much more than the game he coaches.

He talks freely about life, his boundary-less Twitter voice and his decision to say what he truly feels despite knowing it could ultimately work against him in the long run.

"I know it all sounds really deep," he says. "But this is a really good way to live."

---

🤜 https://t.co/yaW52KsMQZ

— Lane Kiffin (@Lane_Kiffin) August 4, 2018

He brings up Donald Trump on his own accord. Not to take a stance on his politics—that will come later—but to summarize just how different things are now than when he first started coaching.

"People don't think the way they did 15 years ago," Kiffin says. "America voted Donald Trump for president. Think about that. Would that have ever happened 15 or 20 years ago?"

Even still, the overwhelming majority of his peers wouldn't dare even go there. They would never allow themselves to make a reference that would generate an overwhelming response.

It is this verbal tightrope-walking that has allowed Kiffin to thrive on social media, specifically Twitter. It is also here, many could argue, where Kiffin's image rehabilitation truly began.

Kiffin originally joined Twitter to recruit, nothing more. It was a way to connect with high school athletes when the NCAA cracked down on text messages.

Before being fired from Alabama, Kiffin's Twitter account was like most coaches'. It featured stats, program information and the occasional photo of his children. But when he was hired by FAU in the winter of 2016, his tone changed. He just decided to be himself.

"It really wasn't some detailed, thought-out plan," Kiffin says. "We're all so worried about what people will say, how they look, what they wear and things like that. I'm not like that, obviously."

He pauses momentarily: "You only live once."

On Trump, Kiffin has retweeted (and supported with an emoji) a CNN article citing Arnold Schwarzenegger's displeasure with Trump's emissions proposal. This led to a tweet that showed support for LeBron James while he feuded with the president and finally a playful tweet targeting Donald and Melania Trump with the hashtag #Problemsathome.

But nothing moves the needle quite like talking about his former programs, something Kiffin isn't shy about. Specifically, Alabama and Tennessee.

A picture of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in a Tennessee pullover that facetiously reported he had turned down the then-vacant coaching job has been retweeted nearly 44,000 times.

pic.twitter.com/RDLQk3cxIh

— Lane Kiffin (@Lane_Kiffin) November 30, 2017

Following Alabama's loss to Auburn in the 2017 Iron Bowl, Kiffin jokingly referenced the term "rat poison"—a phrase Saban used while talking about how positive media coverage negatively impacts his players. This has been retweeted 21,000 times and counting.

Kiffin knows the impact these tweets will have. Sure, he likes the freedom to be himself, but these retweets and eyeballs are also good for business—specifically recruiting.

His now-trademark phrase "Come to #thefaU" has been attached to LeBron James, Odell Beckham, Conor McGregor, Kenny Chesney, Ellen DeGeneres (along with guest Kim Kardashian West), Danica Patrick, random media members, his children, miscellaneous Twitter followers and many others.

Many times his thoughts are random if not odd. But they are real, and Kiffin makes it clear that everything that goes to his more than 400,000 Twitter followers comes directly from him.

"A lot of these coaches have their GAs [graduate assistants] or other people writing their stuff," Kiffin says. "How real is that? I don't want to read your tweets that somebody else did. I can look up your stats, your graduation rates and how many touchdowns you've thrown on my own."

---

There's an understanding inside the FAU locker room that the internet personality and the head coach are different people. Like everyone else, players at FAU can't help but check their coach's Twitter thoughts every now and then. By now, most are used to it.

But they also see a different side of Kiffin, a side that is far less interesting and controversial but far more important.

"You see him on social media, and then you see him in real life," says star linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, who finished last season with 147 tackles. "It's like two different people."

Kiffin can be demanding. He can be passionate. He can also be corny, the side Al-Shaair likes most—in large part because he has this side himself.

"If somebody were to tell me this man was in his 40s, I would've thought you were lying," Al-Shaair adds. "Because that's not how he is. He's a lot more laid back, a lot more relaxed. You see the mentality that he has, and it's just something that you want to bring on for yourself."

Adds the team's star running back, Devin Singletary, who ran for more than 1,900 yards last season: "He tells a lot of jokes. He's strict, but he's also pretty chill at the same time. He's got the perfect balance, I'd say."

Kiffin has also made it a point to rely on his players, and not just to win games but to have a voice inside the program. In many ways this goes against the image some might still have of Kiffin: son of famous football lifer Monte Kiffin with an ego he must learn to control.

From choosing uniforms to making other decisions within the program, Kiffin has empowered his players. When FAU traveled to Wisconsin early last year, the team was forced to extend its stay when Hurricane Irma made landfall in Florida.

With the return home altered, Kiffin called in some of the team's leaders and asked them how they should handle the time away—how long they should stay and cope with unusual circumstances on the road.

"He told us that this was our team," says Al-Shaair, who was a part of that meeting. FAU played it safe, waiting for the storm to pass before returning home.

In practice, Kiffin has adopted a more flexible philosophy, "an atmosphere of 'want to' versus 'have to,'" he says.

He doesn't want his players to dread the work they have to put in. He wants to make it challenging, but to do it in a way that receives full buy-in.

“You just see some of these coaches and you can tell they’re just miserable. Everything is negative when it comes to their players," Kiffin says. "I mean, this isn't prison. This isn't the military.We can let the kids enjoy themselves, and it doesn't mean they're undisciplined or unaccountable or don't do well in school. We do all of those things but at the same time, let them enjoy their college years."

This message is hitting home, especially with high school athletes around the country trying to figure out where they want to play next. While recruiting at FAU is harder than it was at Alabama, Tennessee and USC, Kiffin is still drawing the attention of some of the nation's bigger names.

Chad Johnson Jr., the son of former NFL wideout Chad Johnson, is an emerging wide receiver from Venice, California, in the class of 2020. Kiffin was the first to offer Johnson Jr., who has yet to make a decision. "You'll never see a coach say the things he does and still be a great coach," Johnson Jr. says. "At the same time, you can tell he really does care about your life outside of football."

Locally, Kiffin is trying to convince some of the best players in the state to commit to his school over such established programs as Miami, Florida State and Florida.

For defensive back Marcus Lafrance—FAU's top-ranked commit in the class of 2019 who holds offers from Miami, Texas, Nebraska and others—verbally committing to the Owls was in large part due to Kiffin's style.

"He is what I need in a head coach," Lafrance says. "He teaches his guys like they're his sons. I don't just want a head coach, but a father figure who cares about education and more than football."

---

#Problemsathome 💔@MELANIATRUMP @realDonaldTrump https://t.co/3hGyYcPmIp

— Lane Kiffin (@Lane_Kiffin) August 5, 2018

While his openness has unquestionably helped erase certain stigmas that have followed him for more than a decade, Kiffin's Twitter prowess is not solely responsible for his comeback.

"In my opinion," Kiffin says. "Perception has a ton to do with one thing. Winning. I just say just be yourself regardless because at the end there's a lot more judgment based off the winning than losing in what you do."

In Kiffin's first season with Florida Atlantic, the Owls finished 11-3. Two out of those three losses were to Wisconsin and Navy in the first three weeks. FAU's offense, Kiffin's specialty, was one of only eight to average more than 40 points per game.

This year's team returns Singletary, who was fourth last year in rushing. The defense also welcomes back Al-Shaair, who was third in the nation in tackles.

Momentum is building for Kiffin to deliver an encore. The Owls will open against Oklahoma and also get a crack at UCF, last year's undefeated mid-major darling in prime time at the end of September.

Given all the pieces in place, this feels like just the appropriate time for Kiffin to show that he's more than a brilliant offensive mind.

Other programs outside FAU that are considering a coaching change will unquestionably be watching. Administrators and athletic directors at schools in larger conferences will continue to gauge his performance. (And yes, they will likely monitor what he says on social media as well, to determine if they're comfortable with his other side.)

That is not to say Kiffin has made any indication he's in a rush to leave. In June, he signed a long-term extension with FAU that will keep him at the program through 2027. He seems comfortable being just far enough away from the major spotlight but still with an outlet to create news as he sees fit.

But he also knows that his openness could ultimately betray him.  

"You tweet from the locker room an hour before the game or make jokes about other schools while you're winning, and it's considered great," Kiffin says. "If you're losing and you do the exact same things, people will say he wasn't prepared and he wasn't focused."

---

Kiffin is late again, this time to Conference USA media days in Frisco, Texas. As his fellow coaches gather at round tables scattered throughout the room in the Baylor Scott & White Sports Performance Center, Kiffin is noticeably absent.

Dealing with travel issues, Kiffin strolls in holding a cup of coffee in one hand and a cell phone in the other. He sports a gray suit, salmon-colored tie, brown shoes and a tan.

These days, his crowds are considerably smaller. After doing a handful of televised interviews, Kiffin parks at one of the tables, and seven or so media members swarm. At Alabama, on the limited opportunities when he was allowed to speak with the media, this number was often quadrupled.

Over the course of 30 minutes, Kiffin is asked about his starting quarterback (he doesn't name one), about playing Oklahoma (he jokes that MLB draft pick and likely Oklahoma starter Kyler Murray should stick to baseball) and who will call plays on offense (he politely sidesteps).

He speaks softly—soft enough that those on the opposite end of the table have to lean in so they can hear. His hands fidget back and forth before they finally settle on his lap. He doesn't look uncomfortable or nervous. But he doesn't look completely free and at ease, either.

While the majority of the questions are related to the season, Kiffin is asked about comments North Carolina head coach Larry Fedora made the day prior—adamantly disagreeing with rule changes to make the game safer and also discrediting the connection between football and CTE.

"What's the most important thing?" Kiffin responds. "Long-term health or how the game looks? I think the changes in the game that will continue to come are going to help people's concerns."

Within a few hours, articles featuring Kiffin's comments about Fedora flood the internet. Even when he delivers an appropriate, concise reply regarding something someone else said, nothing moves the needle like Kiffin.

The media session is free of the kind of controversy many were probably hoping for. Not once does he break into a tone resembling that of his Twitter page.

A few weeks later, he will fire off a series of tweets directed at the president of the United States and the first lady. But here, in the flesh, Kiffin's other side is at work.

Depending on what happens next, this could be the last time Kiffin sets foot in Conference USA media days. Another 11-win season could catapult him back into a spotlight befitting his personality. Or perhaps this is exactly what he needs and wants.

As the gathering progresses, Kiffin is asked a simple question that will be on the minds of fans, his teammates, recruits and administrators in the coming months: Will you be active on Twitter during the fall?

He takes a moment to think of the appropriate response. He could say something—something witty that would land him in a sea of articles over the next 24 hours. But instead he doesn't bite.

"If we're winning," he says with a smile that never fully forms.

Florida Atlantic head coach Lane Kiffin would prefer not to see Kyler Murray line up at quarterback for Oklahoma when the two teams meet in the season opener Sept. 1. 

Per USA Today's Scott Gleeson, Kiffin brought up Murray's professional baseball career during the Conference USA media day on Thursday. 

"He should change his mind and play baseball," Kiffin said. 

A two-sport athlete, Murray was selected by the Oakland Athletics with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2018 MLB draft.

The A's gave Murray a $4.66 million signing bonus, but the deal allows him to play the 2018 college football season with the Sooners. He will report to camp with Oakland next spring. 

With reigning Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield in the NFL, Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley hasn't named a starting quarterback.

During the Sooners' spring game in April, Murray had 120 total yards and completed 11 of his 21 pass attempts. Sophomore Austin Kendall finished 11-of-18 with 134 passing yards, one touchdown and one interception. 

Kiffin, who led the Owls to a school-record 11 wins in 2017, is looking for any advantage he can find heading into a matchup with the defending Big 12 champions.

Florida Atlantic has made a major commitment to head football coach Lane Kiffin, announcing Friday that Kiffin has signed a contract extension through 2027.

Athletic director Brian White was very happy to get a new deal done with Kiffin:

"We are extremely excited about the contract extension. Obviously, this came about because of the success that Lane has had here. It shows Lane's commitment to FAU. It also shows the University's and [FAU President] Dr. [John] Kelly's commitment to our football program and all of athletics. It is an exciting thing to be a part of and shows a bright future for FAU."

Kiffin originally had a verbal agreement on his contract extension last December. 

Per Jake Elman of the Palm Beach Post, Kiffin's $950,000 base salary is the same as it was in his original contract. He has had incentives added for everything ranging from losing the Conference USA title game but still receiving an at-large bowl bid to receiving $500,000 if the Owls make the College Football Playoff Championship Game. 

After spending three seasons as Alabama's offensive coordinator, Kiffin was hired by Florida Atlantic in December 2016. It marked the 43-year-old's first head-coaching gig since being fired by USC in 2013. 

Taking over a program that won a combined nine games the previous three seasons, Kiffin led the Owls to an 11-3 record in 2017 and first bowl appearance since 2008 with a 50-3 win over Akron. 

Florida Atlantic head football coach Lane Kiffin announced the hiring of Charlie Weis Jr. to become the Owls' new offensive coordinator.

Kiffin confirmed the addition of Weis, who's now the youngest offensive coordinator in college football at 24 years old, to Chris Low and Field Yates of ESPN.com.

"He's way ahead of his time in how he sees the game, his football IQ and just his overall intelligence," Kiffin said. "He's been around the game with his dad being a coach, a lot like I was when I was growing up, and has a bright future."

He is the son of former Notre Dame and Kansas head coach Charlie Weis, who also served as offensive coordinator for the New York Jets, New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs at the NFL level and Florida in the collegiate ranks.

Weis Jr. worked alongside his father at both Florida, where he was an offensive quality control coach in 2011, and as team manager at Kansas from 2012 through 2014.

The elder Weis told Matt Tait of KUSports.com in 2012 his son taught many of the Jayhawks' offensive graduate assistants "how to break down a game."

"For a kid who could be a spoiled brat, he kind of tries to be as anonymous as he possibly can," he said. "He works with us about 50 hours a week, and then he goes out and takes five classes and 15 hours and gets a 4.0 (grade-point average). What can you say about the kid?"

The younger Weis spent the summer of 2014 as an intern with the New England Patriots and worked under Kiffin as an offensive analyst for Alabama in 2015 and 2016.

Now he'll inherit an Owls offense that ranked ninth in yardage and eighth in scoring during the 2017 campaign under Kendal Briles, who left the program in early January to join the Houston staff.

Lane Kiffin's Florida Atlantic Owls capped off an 11-3 season Tuesday with an emphatic 50-3 victory over Akron at the Cheribundi Tart Cherry Boca Raton Bowl, and the best is yet to come according to the coach.

"We're just getting started," Kiffin said after the win, per Andrea Adelson of ESPN.com.

His tenure with the school is just getting started, considering Chris Low of ESPN.com reported he agreed to a new contract to keep him with the program through the 2027 campaign.

The contract is not without merit. Florida Atlantic won 11 games this season on the way to a Conference USA crown and played in its first bowl game since the 2008 campaign, when it beat Central Michigan in the Motor City Bowl.

The success was enough to make Kiffin dance after Tuesday's victory:

We finally got @Lane_Kiffin out of his shell 🐚 https://t.co/IBLRU4I9C8

— Florida Atlantic Football (@FAUFootball) December 20, 2017

Kiffin suggested things are only going to get better moving forward, and it's hard to argue against him, considering quarterback Jason Driskel and running back Devin Singletary are set to return in 2018.

Driskel won the MVP award in the win over Akron with 270 passing yards, 67 rushing yards and four total touchdowns while directing an uptempo offense that wore the Zips down. Singletary gashed the defense as well with 124 rushing yards and three touchdowns, marking the 12th straight game he topped the 100-yard mark.

Kiffin was appreciative of the national stage while reflecting on the extension, per Adelson:

"They came to me with it. We're very appreciative. The university feels good about what's going on here. We're changing the way people think. I'm just glad our players can play on this stage and completely dominate a good team. They wanted to leave no doubt. We want to make sure at the end of the year everybody says we don't want to play FAU."

There are likely few powerhouse programs that would want to play FAU at this point, but one of them will be tasked with the job in 2018.

The Owls open next season with a date against the Oklahoma Sooners, who could be coming off a national championship run, considering they are in the College Football Playoff. Kiffin has already captured attention with his first season, but a win at Oklahoma would turn heads across the nation.