Lane Kiffin is one of the more successful coaching rehabilitation projects that have taken place under Nick Saban’s watch at Alabama.

Kiffin, now the head coach at Ole Miss, was Alabama’s offensive coordinator from 2014 to 2016 before moving on to take the Florida Atlantic head coaching gig.

He is very appreciative of everything Saban did for his career. During an appearance on “The Herd with Colin Cowherd” on Thursday, Kiffin was asked about his relationship with Saban and what happens when they run into each other:

“Very comfortable. It’s happened a number of times,” he said. “Great respect for him. Great appreciation for what he did for me in giving me an opportunity. When the USC thing happened, all of a sudden, I didn’t know anything about coaching. He gave me a great opportunity.”

Kiffin then went on to credit Saban for wanting to change Alabama’s offense back in 2014. He said Saban was the one to give Kiffin the green light to run the successful schemes he ran:

“People want to give me credit for changing the offense there, but as a head coach, especially a head coach who is set in his ways — for him to want to change the offense, it was his idea,” Kiffin said. “I didn’t come in and say ‘this is what you should do.’ He said, ‘I want to change. I’m tired of people running these plays against us and we don’t have an answer for them.’ I’m appreciative of that opportunity. Sometimes when you just sit and listen for 3 years and learn from somebody, you can learn a lot.”

Kiffin will have a chance to beat his former boss on Oct. 2, when his Rebels travel to Tuscaloosa to take on Saban’s Crimson Tide.