Lane Kiffin will always be known as one of Nick Saban’s coaching rehabilitation success stories. Saban’s retirement day was emotional for Kiffin in multiple ways.

Kiffin chose to address Saban’s departure by quoting a social media post noting that Saban and Pete Carroll ended their coaching careers on the same day. Carroll was dismissed as head coach of the Seattle Seahawks, but is expected to remain with the club in an advisory role.

Kiffin called the coaches the two GOATs, noting he won national championships with both. He was a USC assistant under Carroll from 2002-to-2006. Kiffin was at Alabama from 2014-16 before taking the head coaching job at Florida Atlantic.

“So honored and blessed to have learned from them and won national championships with both. Thanks for taking a chance on me and being amazing mentors to me,” Kiffin wrote. “Appreciate you both more than you will ever know.”

Kiffin added a quote post of David Pollack calling Saban the greatest coach of all time.

Kiffin is being included on early lists of potential candidates for the Alabama job. Saturday Down South’s Matt Hayes writes that Kiffin is the only coach up to the task of succeeding Saban.