Nick Saban fired Lane Kiffin as Alabama's offensive coordinator before the College Football Playoff National Championship game because Saban was unhappy with Kiffin's lack of focus and professionalism. Kiffin had been distracted by assembling his coaching staff and recruiting for his new head coaching job at Florida Atlantic University while still coaching Alabama. He was also late to a critical staff meeting, and Saban was concerned that Kiffin’s divided attention was hurting the team’s preparation and performance. Additionally, Kiffin made inflammatory comments publicly that created distractions. Saban decided to replace Kiffin with Steve Sarkisian to put the team in the best position for success in the championship game.