Lane Kiffin's name is going to come up often during this coaching silly season. Sometimes, it will be for legitimate reasons -- like Florida Atlantic's sudden resurgence under his leadership, 6-0 conference record, bowl eligibility for the first time since 2013 and a likely bowl bid for the first time since they played in the 2008 Motor City Bowl.
Other times, his name will be brought up for humorous reasons like teasing a return to Tennessee, where he didn't exactly leave under the best of circumstances in January 2010.
Don't tell Kiffin that his departure from Boca Raton is imminent. He likes where he is, and said as much in an interview with "The First Team" with Taylor Zarzour and Greg McElroy on ESPNU on SiriusXM.
"You are not going to get Coach Speak here," Kiffin said. "When I say I'm happy here, that's what every coach says. But I really am. It's a very unique situation: A) we have a great team, B) a ton of them come back, almost the whole team comes back. And we love living here. There's a family element that's awesome. My dad's here. My brother's a coordinator. Mom's here. My brother's four kids. We've got a president that wants football to win, came from Clemson and envisions this place being like Clemson some day."
Don't be fooled by all the rumors...@Lane_Kiffin says he's staying at @FAU_Footballpic.twitter.com/1an0dOq92N
— ESPNU Radio on SXM (@ESPNUonSiriusXM) November 17, 2017
He might not have another opportunity to compare his current setup to at this time, but that doesn't mean he's wrong. He's in a great location and has found success in his first year back as a head coach following three straight SEC titles and College Football Playoff appearances as Alabama's offensive coordinator.
Why move just for the sake of moving?
If he feels like he can stick around at FAU and build it into a perennial Conference USA power, he will accomplish something that nobody else in the program's history has been able to accomplish, while simultaneously building his own coaching reputation back to a point where a big job will eventually come calling.
That sounds like a sweet deal.
The Owls can clinch the division title on Saturday night when they face rival FIU at FAU Stadium.
