According to the SB Nation site Niners Nation, Alabama offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin has been contacted by the San Francisco 49ers to take the same position. Niners Nation points out that Kiffin was asked to take the same position at the end of last season, but Kiffin elected to stay with Alabama.
The timing is certainly interesting, as the 49ers hired former Philadelphia Eagles head coach Chip Kelly to be their coach earlier this month. Kelly commands a certain control over his offense and personnel, and it would be odd if Kiffin — who many consider to be holding out for a head coaching job at either the college or NFL level — jumped from the cushions of the Crimson Tide job to take a rebuilding gig in the NFL as a coordinator.
Kelly did meet with the Alabama program before their College Football Playoff victory over Clemson, so it is a possibility that a working relationship has already been discussed between Kelly and Kiffin. However, at least for now, most would probably think that it is a bit of a long-shot for Kiffin to leave Alabama this late in the process.
