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Alabama’s Kiffin enjoying behind-the-scenes work

By WTOP Staff

JOHN ZENOR
AP Sports Writer

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Lane Kiffin’s job description these days is much more about the playbook than the podium.

The sometimes outspoken former Southern California head coach is working mostly behind the scenes as Nick Saban’s offensive coordinator at Alabama, where there’s zero question about who’s in charge. It lets Kiffin focus on football and finding a starting quarterback, but he did get a little reminder from his new boss before speaking to Alabama reporters Sunday for the first time at the Crimson Tide’s media day.

“To me, there would be no other option to come in and not try to learn everything that you can from Nick Saban,” Kiffin said. “I’m sitting here every day learning stuff from him. We already met this morning so he made sure I didn’t say anything to get on the (TV news) ticker.”

He steered clear of any controversy, talking about studying “the process” from a coach who’s won four national titles, the prospect of being a head coach again and returning to Tennessee for the Oct. 25 game.

Kiffin is only 39, after all. He’s putting another entry on a resume that already includes being head coach at USC, the NFL’s Oakland Raiders and Tide rival Tennessee for the 2009 season. The Tide visits the Volunteers on Oct. 25.

“Took a long time for the Knoxville question,” Kiffin said, adding that his year there was great and “the people were phenomenal.”

Kiffin was fired five games into last season at USC, where he was 28-15 in three-plus seasons. He said he’d talked to NFL teams about becoming an assistant but jumped at the chance to work under Saban in January, with a three-year, $2.074 million contract.

Kiffin spent eight days in Tuscaloosa during Sugar Bowl preparation visiting with the Alabama staff and observing the offense. The job opened up when Doug Nussmeier left for the same position at Michigan.

Kiffin said the decision was an easy one.

“I just wanted a job where I can be learning and growing and I can’t imagine a better place in the NFL or college to go and learn from someone who has been so successful and someone that teaches his coaches,” Kiffin said. “It’s one thing to go to a successful head coach who doesn’t have a lot of meetings and just kind of runs his own deal.

“Coach Saban teaches his coaches every single day about what he wants and the way he expects things to be done and how you can improve and helps his coaches grow, which is why he’s had so many assistant coaches go on to be so successful.”

Kiffin, who said Saban reached out to him about the coordinator job after taking over in 2007, was part of two national championships as a USC assistant under Pete Carroll. The Trojans averaged 49.1 points and 579.8 yards per game when he was offensive coordinator from 2005-06.

Now, he’s presiding over a quarterback competition between Blake Sims and Florida State transfer Jacob Coker.

Kiffin is Saban’s fourth offensive coordinator in eight seasons at Alabama, but the offense has remained much the same. Kiffin said that’s not changing.

Tight end Brian Vogler, who Kiffin recruited at Tennessee, said the coach is hands-on at every position and has a positive way of correcting players.

“He gives you the constructive criticism you want to hear,” Vogler said. “Guys can’t always take criticism. But he’s always like, ‘Brace yourself. I’m going to tell you something you don’t want to hear but at the end of the day you’re going to be happy I told you it because it will benefit you in the long run.'”

Kiffin, meanwhile, is hoping to learn from his own mistakes.

“I’ve made more than anybody probably,” he said. “To be able to go through what I’ve gone through and still be fortunate before the age of 40 to be here, to be offensive coordinator with coach Saban at Alabama, you take some time to reflect on that and really to think about what I think is probably two of the most successful coaches maybe ever in football in Pete Carroll and Nick Saban.

“To have the opportunity to be coordinators for both of those guys at a young age. Both those programs are really at the top of the ladder. It’s great.”

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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