Robin Kiffin, mother of Alabama offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin, told CBSSports.com‘s Jon Solomon that she was “scared to death” for her son’s safety this weekend and wanted him to coach from the press box during Alabama’s game at Tennessee. Mrs. Kiffin, former Tennessee athletic director Mike Hamilton and others participated in a piece on the former Tennessee head coach’s first appearance in Knoxville since leaving in 2010.

Alabama coach Nick Saban confirmed Wednesday that Kiffin will coach from the team’s sideline, as he’s done all season.

“I’m scared to death for his safety,” Robin Kiffin told Solomon. “Some people were visiting us last weekend from Tennessee and they said they better not let him on the sideline, they should put him in the press box. I want him to be in the press box.”

Hamilton told Solomon that he wishes Kiffin’s first game against the Vols had come in Tuscaloosa. However, he believes Tennessee fans are “smart enough” to avoid going “overboard” during Saturday’s game.

“I know that Tennessee fans have some really hard feelings,” Hamilton told Solomon. “Tennessee is a storied program, so to have someone sort of walk out on them, even given it was for his dream job and the way that whole year went down, there’s not going to be any love shared. But I also believe Tennessee fans are smart enough that they don’t want any kind of scar on who they are by going overboard in the reaction to it.

“And I say that not even knowing what overboard means.”

Kiffin left Tennessee for Southern California after just one season in January 2010. The Vols went 7-5 under Kiffin in 2009, which was their last winning season.

Tennessee (3-4, 0-3 SEC) will host No. 4 Alabama (6-1, 3-1) on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN2.