Alabama Crimson Tide: Lane Kiffin won't miss Nick Saban 'a-- chewings' at FAU

ATLANTA -- Lane Kiffin wore a smile at his final press conference as Nick Saban's offensive coordinator at Alabama on Wednesday, recalling intense communications with the Crimson Tide's stern general.

Kiffin was named head coach at Florida Atlantic but before he takes over his own program, he's helping Alabama finish a march toward the goal of back-to-back national championships. The undefeated Crimson Tide (13-0) play Washington in the Peach Bowl national semifinal on Saturday.

There are more memories to be made for Alabama, but Kiffin struggled to recall a smiley time with Saban during planning sessions.

"I don't recall a happy moment," Kiffin said, when asked to remember a pleasant interaction with Saban over offensive game plans. "I just recall the ass-chewings. ... I won't take that part of the process with me, though."

Kiffin tossed some shade Saban's way earlier this month, saying he was looking forward to join a program where they use the word "we."

Since hiring Kiffin as offensive coordinator, Saban and Alabama have three consecutive SEC championships and won the national title last season. Kiffin had his share of drama at past stops as a head coach -- Southern Cal, Tennessee and with the Oakland Raiders in the NFL -- but his most infamous moment on the sideline in Tuscaloosa was a tense bout of Saban shouting at a mute Kiffin on the sidelines.

The exchange, caught on camera, was described by Saban as a one-sided discussion: "There are no arguments. Those are called ass-chewings," Saban said.

Still, Kiffin took issue with the national narrative that he had to get out of Alabama now because of his relationship with Saban.

"I don't know where that comes from, out there that the Alabama thing was over and the Saban-Kiffin marriage kind of ran its course," Kiffin said. "It was three years. Coach has been great to me. And we did have a great three years -- three straight SEC championships and potential of two national championships and a Heisman Trophy winner (Derrick Henry in 2015). So it was really great. And it really was about the job (at FAU). It was about that specific job."