Category: Florida Atlantic University
FAU Stadium's new football locker rooms, training facilities leave strong impression on players
Florida Atlantic running back James Charles' locker at FAU Stadium. (Jake Elman / The Palm Beach Post)
BOCA RATON — Nearly two years after hiring Lane Kiffin, Florida Atlantic has taken another major step in its hopes of becoming a big-time football program.
Last week, the Owls unveiled a new $10-million locker room inside FAU Stadium. The new locker room includes more space – the school estimates the locker room has nearly doubled in size – and a players' lounge featuring a large TV, a foosball table, and a snack bar.
"We were like 100 years behind normal places," Kiffin said.
The newly renovated locker area includes personal nameplates on the lockers, safes for personal belongings which feature charging stations for cell phones and tablets, and vents to keep the equipment cool.
Players were introduced to the new locker room on Friday, a day before the Owls moved to 1-1 with a 33-27 win over Air Force.
"That's the best locker room I've ever seen," said junior safety Da'Von Brown, who previously played at Royal Palm Beach. "Made us feel like we're earning something, like we're playing for something. I thought it was our new home."
AP All-American running back Devin Singletary (American Heritage) said the renovations are "one step closer to feeling like a big program."
"We've got more space and everybody's not on top of each other," Singletary said.
The locker room is the first stage of a $72-million facility upgrade which also includes the Schmidt Family Complex for Academic and Athletic Excellence and new classrooms for the university's Sports MBA program. FAU has already closed off the first floor of the parking lot closest to FAU Stadium – which was once designed with the intent of potentially housing storefronts and restaurants – to begin converting that space into classrooms.
This is an absolute game changer. The team agrees 👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/wGa4zLVKIm
— FAU Football (@FAU_Football) September 8, 2018
Floors two through four of the lot remain open for students and staff. FAU broke ground on the Schmidt Center in Jan. 2017 – only weeks after Kiffin was hired – and is continuing construction throughout the season.
"That's really not the most important stage because you use that locker room to change clothes," Kiffin said. "That's good for recruiting and stuff. … Having the next stage with the weight room and up-to-par training facilities for all student-athletes is really the big step."
Dwyer running back James Meeks, who verbally committed to the Owls this summer, said in a text message he "loved" the changes and new features.
FAU is currently constructing a hydrotherapy facility that includes an underwater treadmill. More flat-screen televisions will be added in the coming weeks, as will tables for the training room.
Part one of our tour of the new @FAU_Football locker room. @RedditCFB @CUSAbbs @pbpsports @kevinsothershow pic.twitter.com/FxSRj11oz1
— Jake Elman (@JakeElman) September 12, 2018
The coaches' meeting rooms, dressing rooms, and the recruiting lounge are no longer located at the stadium and will be moved to the Schmidt Complex. When the complex opens, FAU will practice there and only use this locker room. Currently, the Owls practice and hold meetings at the on-campus Oxley Center.
FAU does not have an estimated completion date for the Schdmit Complex at this time.
[Lane Kiffin on former USC, new FAU defensive tackle Noah Jefferson: "He looks like a 10-year NFL vet"]
[All-Conference USA tight end Harrison Bryant patiently waiting for increased role in Florida Atlantic's offense]
[FAU wide receivers Jovon Durante, Tavaris Harrison, and Willie Wright emerging as dangerous trio under Lane Kiffin]
[Motor problems? FAU star running back Devin Singletary shrugs off slow start to season]
[FAU head coach Lane Kiffin concerned with special teams after allowing blocked punts in consecutive weeks]
[Florida Atlantic quarterback Chris Robison offers potential glimpse into future after historic day against Air Force]
Author Jake ElmanPosted on September 13, 2018 Categories Florida Atlantic University, FootballTags Da'Von Brown, Devin Singletary, FAU stadium, faufocus, Florida Atlantic Owls, sports, sportsfront1 Comment on FAU Stadium's new football locker rooms, training facilities leave strong impression on players
Florida Atlantic head coach Lane Kiffin acknowledges unfamiliar feeling of being handed blowout loss by No. 7 Oklahoma
Florida Atlantic head coach Lane Kiffin reacts on the sidelines in the second half of an NCAA college football game against Oklahoma in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Sept. 1, 2018. Oklahoma won 63-14. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
BOCA RATON — Lane Kiffin is used to being the bully, the Power Five head coach handing out the crushing, blowout loss to a lower-level program.
Call Saturday's 63-14 loss to No. 7 Oklahoma, a game where FAU trailed 56-0 at one point, a humbling experience for the second-year Florida Atlantic coach.
"I've not been in situations like that where the games are out of hand like that, that early," Kiffin said. "You figure out how long do you play your starters, do you keep going fast even though we're not having success on offense, but that's the best way to have success. … That's what happens when you have two teams that go fast."
A late rushing touchdown by redshirt junior running back Kerrith Whyte (Seminole Ridge) kept the Owls (0-1) from tying the worst defeat against a Power Five program in team history. FAU was blown out 63-7 by Kansas State on Sept. 17, 2016, only months before Kiffin was hired to turn around a program which hadn't posted a winning record since 2008.
The 63 points were the most allowed by a Kiffin-led team, surpassing the 62 allowed in a blowout loss to Arizona State in 2013 when he was still at Southern Cal. Kiffin was infamously fired at Los Angeles International Airport after that game despite the Trojans entering the game with a 3-1 record.
An assistant at USC from 2001-06, and Alabama's offensive coordinator from 2014-16, Kiffin is no stranger to being on the winning sideline of non-conference games against programs which didn't have the talent or size to compete. Kiffin's home debut with the Crimson Tide on Sept. 6, 2014, coincidentally came in a 41-0 win over FAU, a game where Alabama outgained the Owls 620-145.
Kiffin was far from his days at Alabama on Saturday afternoon, watching as FAU – a team which averaged over 40 points per game last year and had scored at least 30 points in 12 straight games – was outgained 650-324 by a dangerous Sooners team. Oklahoma pulled most of its starters late in the second quarter and still outscored the Owls 21-14 in the second half.
FAU had four games last season where the Owls' dangerous offense scored at least 50 points, including putting up 69 in an October win over North Texas. Kiffin compared Saturday's loss to that Oct. 21 victory over the Mean Green, but "in reverse."
"You can get beat up really quick because you are going slow so you're getting the ball back," Kiffin said. "If you slow the game down, if you slow it down on offense, maybe the points would have been closer."
Quarterback battle: Kiffin said there has been no discussion yet of who will start at quarterback against Air Force on Saturday (2 p.m., CBS Sports Network) in FAU's home opener. Redshirt freshman and Oklahoma transfer Chris Robison struggled against his former team, only completing 15 of his 26 passes for 157 yards and no touchdowns. Graduate transfer Rafe Peavey (SMU) and "Last Chance U" star De'Andre Johnson were a combined 3-of-5 for 35 yards and an interception.
Neither Peavey nor Johnson have made starts at the Division I level, though Johnson started for East Mississippi Community College in 2016. Johnson ran for 39 yards on nine carries and was praised by Kiffin for "making plays with his feet."
Hard Knocks: Though teams rarely have full contact during in-season practices, Kiffin said the Owls will need to work on tackling this week before facing Air Force (2 p.m., CBS Sports Network) on Saturday. The Falcons run a triple-option offense that, as Navy showed in a 41-19 win over the Owls last September, is capable of giving FAU's defense fits.
Premature celebration: At least one person thought FAU managed to pull off the biggest upset in program history. A mass text sent to alumni from a FAU alumni organization on Saturday evening congratulated the Owls, who "just beat #7 ranked OU on their home field."
Several alumni who received the text told The Palm Beach Post they believed the message to initially be a hoax before realizing others had received it. The Florida Atlantic University Alumni Association has not yet issued a statement clarifying how or why the text was sent.
Kiffin declined to give much comment on the now-viral text, which he chalked up to "human error."
[Despite humiliating loss to No. 7 Oklahoma, don't declare Florida Atlantic's season over yet]
[5 Takeaways: Chris Robison, Florida Atlantic look lost, lethargic in blowout 63-14 loss to No. 7 Oklahoma]
Author Jake ElmanPosted on September 2, 2018 Categories 2018 football season, Florida Atlantic UniversityTags Chris Robison, De'Andre Johnson, faufocus, Florida Atlantic Owls, Lane Kiffin, Rafe Peavey, sports, sportsfront6 Comments on Florida Atlantic head coach Lane Kiffin acknowledges unfamiliar feeling of being handed blowout loss by No. 7 Oklahoma
Florida Atlantic athletic director Brian White talks high expectations for football team, Devin Singletary's Heisman candidacy, and Lane Kiffin's Twitter
Brian White is named Florida Atlantic University's vice president and director of athletics at the Tom Oxley Athletic Center in Boca Raton, Florida on March 14, 2018. (Allen Eyestone / The Palm Beach Post)
BOCA RATON — Jumping on the Lane Kiffin train is a decision that first-year Florida Atlantic athletic director Brian White is appreciating more each day.
Hired in March to replace longtime AD Pat Chun, who took the same job at Washington State in January, White has already seen tremendous results from the school's many Division I programs. After going 11-3 last season and winning both the Conference USA championship and the Boca Raton Bowl, Lane Kiffin's football team is earning preseason Top 25 votes for the first time in school history. FAU football was officially projected to repeat as C-USA East Division Champions last month.
John McCormack's baseball team made it to the NCAA Tournament and narrowly missed a Super Regional. Softball won the C-USA regular-season title and was one of the last teams out for the NCAA Tournament. White's first coaching change, firing men's basketball coach Michael Curry and hiring Florida assistant Dusty May, has been met with universal praise, especially after May posted an impressive initial signing class this summer.
FAU also continues to establish itself as a rising university in academics, with 237 athletes posting a GPA of 3.0 or higher this spring. The Spring 2018 President's list included 24 student-athletes while 40 made their respective college's Dean List.
White has quickly become popular among FAU fans for spreading the "Winning in Paradise" mantra and placing several billboards touting the tagline in South Florida. Several feature FAU running back Devin Singletary (American Heritage) and are titled "Heisman in Paradise," celebrating the junior's Heisman candidacy after running for 1,920 yards and an FBS-high 32 rushing touchdowns last year.
Football will kick off its season on Sept. 1 and some of the school's other fall sports, such as soccer and volleyball, begin later this month. With the regular season around the corner, White spoke with the Palm Beach Post this week, shortly after FAU's football team began its annual fall training camp.
It's been five months since you were hired. How are you adjusting to Florida?
White: "I guess you're still adjusting every day, but I feel pretty comfortable. I'm loving the place, loving FAU, loving the area. (I'm) having a lot of fun."
You were hired as AD as the hype was generating for FAU. How exciting has it been to be around as the hype continues building?
White: "It's been great. The season we had last year obviously was incredible. Really, really, exciting and I think that just makes you more excited about this season. I think it's fun to have something that a fan base can be excited about and it's fun to do what you can to help and promote these guys and the talent we have on our roster. They're good kids and I think it's going to be a fun year."
How rare is it to where you have Devin Singletary in this situation where a player from a non-Power Five program and a smaller school gets his own billboard?
White: "It shows, I think, how great FAU can be. I think in this area, we all know we're 1.8 miles from the beach – I'll always beat that drum – and we all know we're in paradise. We're in a great area but we have tremendous talent from right around here and there's also talent around the country that wouldn't mind being in Boca Raton. It just shows you the type of student-athletes you can have at FAU and that makes it even more excited for the future."
We look at Devin's 32 touchdowns, we look at Lane Kiffin and the Lane Train, but a lot of these kids, it seems Lane has done a really good job of recruiting high-character people.
White: "And they run a good program. I was in the team meeting when Lane did the 'welcome back event' with the student-athletes' and he had a great message to them. I think they're about the right things and about doing the right things for our student-athletes. I think there's a lot of educational pieces there not only on the football piece, but also, here's the right thing we want to be and develop them into the graduation piece. I think our athletic department-wide GPA last year was over 3.0. I think there's a pretty good story there as well."
Lane obviously has been a big part of the story as well and given some of his other stops, some wonder how he's handled the success. How have you seen him handle the success and expectations?
White: "I think he's handled it really well. I thought it was great he already took the (C-USA Champions) banner down and said, 'We're looking at next year.' I think that's how you have to handle it. He's (handled it) with a lot of maturity. He's a guy who's been there and it's easy to see that he knows what he's doing and he knows he's looking for (2018) and he's focused. If you go and ask him what he's doing, he's thinking about next year and how we can be highly competitive next year. He's not thinking about last year and we've had very few conversations about last year. We had them early on but he turned the page pretty quick and he's pretty focused."
Are you still alright with what he tweets and him being a face of the school in his own distinct way?
White: "Yeah, I think he's gotta be himself. I think people are productive when they're comfortable in their own skin and I think he's pretty comfortable in his own skin and I think there's value there. Not everybody has to be the same and I think he's got a really good sense of humor. I think it does provide exposure. I don't audit every one of his tweets every night or go through and say if I agree or disagree.
"Do I agree with the fact he likes to be himself and do I think he does provide exposure for FAU when you look at only his brand, but winning at a high level and what FAU can bring to the table as a great university in a great location with great leadership in place? I think all of those things work well together."
We're roughly a month away from the home opener (Air Force on Sept. 8). How close is the stadium to being fully ready?
White: "I just took a tour last week and they're moving pretty well. The underbelly should be ready before the first game – heck, it's gotta be – and the lockers just came in the other day. They look great. It's going to be really impressive and it's going to be really awesome, all of the new areas. Then the construction moving out from the stadium will continue, so it's exciting."
FAU 2018 Fall Camp:
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[Former "Last Chance U" star and FAU quarterback De'Andre Johnson credits faith in return from career-threatening blood clots]
Author Jake ElmanPosted on August 8, 2018 August 8, 2018 Categories 2018 football season, Brian White, Florida Atlantic UniversityTags Brian White, Devin Singletary, FAU stadium, faufocus, Florida Atlantic Owls, Lane Kiffin, sports, sportsfront11 Comments on Florida Atlantic athletic director Brian White talks high expectations for football team, Devin Singletary's Heisman candidacy, and Lane Kiffin's Twitter
Once fired for racist comments, broadcaster-turned-motivational speaker Emily Austen leaves lasting impression on FAU football team
FAU head coach Lane Kiffin and motivational speaker Emily Austen. (Twitter.com)
BOCA RATON — Her past comments were shocking, but one line from motivational speaker Emily Austen especially stuck with Florida Atlantic defensive tackle Steven Leggett.
"She said she almost killed herself," said Leggett, a senior defensive tackle from Belle Glade.
A former sideline reporter for Fox Sports Florida's Tampa Bay Rays and Orlando Magic coverage, Austen was fired in June 2016 for racially charged comments she made on a Barstool Sports show. An FAU graduate, Austen made disparaging comments about Mexican, Asian, and Jewish people and called Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love a "little b—h."
Heavily criticized for what she defended as "trying to be funny," Austen was fired by Fox Sports Florida later that month and has since become a motivational speaker. Austen spoke with the Owls on Saturday afternoon about the power of words and how one comment can change people's lives entirely.
"I wouldn't make that mistake, but it was pretty good that she can do that and bounce back from it," Leggett said.
Austen graduated from FAU in 2011 and previously spoke to the school's student-athletes last year.
FAU coach Lane Kiffin, himself no stranger to the oft-controversial comment on social media, praised Austen for how she turned a negative situation into a teachable moment for others.
"She did a really good job," Kiffin said. "Powerful story. Spent 16 years working to get to a point, then screwed it up in 30 seconds. I think that was a powerful message for our kids to hear."
Added cornerback Meiko Dotson: "I looked at what she was saying and I took it in. You learn from it and before you make the mistake, you can just see like, 'OK, I have to do this better.'"
Though he was admittedly disappointed at the comments, Dotson said he couldn't pass judgment on Austen because he always tries to look at both sides of a situation.
"I know you have to think before you do something like that," Dotson said.
Recent months have seen old social media posts from professional athletes and celebrities be uncovered. Several racist and homophobic tweets made by Washington Nationals star shortstop Trea Turner when he was at Park Vista were found last week, shortly after people discovered similar tweets by Atlanta Braves pitcher Sean Newcomb.
Milwaukee Brewers reliever Josh Hader was pitching in the MLB All-Star Game last month when tweets of his from 2011 and 2012, most of which were from before he was drafted in 2012, went viral. Hader later apologized and was given a standing ovation upon pitching in his first game back in Milwaukee.
FAU athletic director Brian White told The Palm Beach Post on Monday that the athletic department goes over "social media education" with the school's student-athletes and cautions them on the dangers of one bad post.
"I don't believe in, 'Don't get on social media,'" White said. "I don't think that's the right way, but I also think (we need to) make sure they're educated … The sad thing nowadays is once you do something great, everybody wants to go look at your tweets from seven years ago. Not that you shouldn't have them on there anyway, but it's a good point."
White added the school has discussed potentially adding another staffer to work with student-athletes on social media use.
[Why Florida Atlantic promises to have an "aggressive" defense under new defensive coordinator Tony Pecoraro this fall]
[Former Florida guard Antonio Riles, ex-Tulane center Junior Diaz each hoping to start on FAU's offensive line this season]
[Notebook: FAU linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair on recovery from Tommy John surgery: "It feels almost like it's never been injured"]
[Florida Atlantic defensive tackle Ray Ellis III keeps spirits high after tearing ACL twice in 13 months]
Author Jake ElmanPosted on August 6, 2018 Categories Florida Atlantic University, FootballTags Brian White, Emily Austen, faufocus, Florida Atlantic Owls, Lane Kiffin, Meiko Dotson, sports, sportsfront, Steven Leggett8 Comments on Once fired for racist comments, broadcaster-turned-motivational speaker Emily Austen leaves lasting impression on FAU football team
Florida Atlantic projected to repeat as Conference USA East Division champions in preseason media poll
FAU celebrates with the Conference USA trophy after defeating North Texas Mean Green 41-17 at the 2017 Conference USA Football Championship at FAU Stadium in Boca Raton, Florida on December 2, 2017. (Allen Eyestone / The Palm Beach Post)
After dominating Conference USA last season en route to their first winning season since 2008, Lane Kiffin's Florida Atlantic Owls have been projected to repeat as East Division champions by select C-USA media members.
Following a season that saw FAU go 9-0 in C-USA play and average 40.9 points per game against league opponents, the Owls received 22 of a possible 26 first-place votes in the annual preseason media poll. Marshall was the only other East Division team to receive votes, finishing with four. FAU defeated the Thundering Herd by a 30-25 final on Nov. 3, the only one-score game the Owls played after a 34-31 loss to Buffalo on Sept. 23.
The predicted first-place finish follows FAU running back Devin Singletary (American Heritage) and linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair being named the preseason Offensive Player and Defensive Player of the Year, respectively. Singletary was also named to the Maxwell Award (best overall player) watch list on Monday, while Al-Shaair was named to the Bednarik Award (best defensive player) watch list.
Singletary and Al-Shaair were joined by tight end Harrison Bryant, left tackle Reggie Bain, cornerback Shelton Lewis, and safety Jalen Young (Seminole Ridge) as Owls named to the all-preseason team on Monday.
FAU is also hoping to become the third team in C-USA history to repeat as conference champions. Marshall (2013-14) and Western Kentucky (2015-16) previously accomplished the feat.
Voters were more divided on who will win the West Division, as four teams received first-place votes. Defending West champion North Texas led the way with 18 votes, with Louisiana Tech (4), UAB (3), and Southern Miss (1) following them.
FAU outscored North Texas 110-48 in two games last season, with the second win taking place in the C-USA Championship Game on Dec. 2. Playing in the first league title game in program history (FAU's Sun Belt title in 2007 did not come with a championship game), the Owls won 41-17 and clinched a spot in the Boca Raton Bowl, blowing out Akron in a 50-3 game on Dec. 19.
The full C-USA predicted order of finish can be seen below.
1. Florida Atlantic (22)
2. Marshall (4)
3. Middle Tennessee
4. FIU
5. WKU
6. Old Dominion
7. Charlotte
WEST DIVISION
1. North Texas (18)
2. Louisiana Tech (4)
3. UAB (3)
4. Southern Miss (1)
5. UTSA
6. Rice
[Will Florida Atlantic find quarterback of future in either De'Andre Johnson or Chris Robison?]
[Beyond Devin Singletary, how good can Florida Atlantic's running backs be this year?]
[WATCH: Florida Atlantic reenvisions Lane Kiffin as Willy Wonka in new marketing video]
[Should FAU pursue former Alabama, Palm Beach Gardens linebacker VanDarius Cowan?]
[The Palm Beach Post is looking at the best FAU football players from the past 15 seasons. Who is on your All-Owls team?]
Author Jake ElmanPosted on July 17, 2018 Categories 2018 football season, Florida Atlantic University, ProjectionsTags Conference USA, faufocus, Florida Atlantic Owls, Lane Kiffin, Projections, sports, sportsfrontLeave a comment on Florida Atlantic projected to repeat as Conference USA East Division champions in preseason media poll
FAU linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair among five student-athletes honored with Wilma Rudolph Award
Azeez Al-Shaair (2) on the sidelines at the Cheribundi Tart Cherry Boca Raton Bowl in Boca Raton, Florida on December 19, 2017. (Allen Eyestone / The Palm Beach Post)
BOCA RATON — Florida Atlantic linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair's latest accolade takes more into account than just his hard hits.
Al-Shaair, 20, was one of five student-athletes honored with the Wilma Rudolph Award at the N4A Convention Awards in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday night. Per a press release, the Student-Athlete Achievement Award honors student-athletes "who have overcome great personal, academic, and/or emotional odds to achieve academic success while participating in intercollegiate athletics."
"It was real cool and unique," Al-Shaair told The Post by phone. "It's a big part of who I am. Anyone who knows me knows my character and the type of person I am … It's good to be in good standing with everyone and get the recognition (for the) type of person you are."
While Al-Shaair has made himself known as an All-Conference USA first-team linebacker last season and a possible second-day pick in next spring's NFL Draft, making a living through football was once a pipe dream for the rising senior. Al-Shaair was only 15-years-old when his Tampa home caught fire in August 2012 after a cooking accident, temporarily leaving he and his family homeless.
Al-Shaair carried his two younger brothers, then 9 and 11, and his 2-year-old niece to safety before watching his home crumble. While Al-Shaair and family tried to find somewhere to live, football became his escape as he eventually earned a scholarship to FAU. Al-Shaair was named a 2015 USA Today Freshman All-American and now holds the program record for tackles following three consecutive seasons with at least 90 tackles.
While Al-Shaair could have jumped to the NFL after last season – a move which would have made additional financial sense, as his two brothers now live with him in a Boca Raton apartment – he opted to stay at FAU for his senior season. Al-Shaair was limited in spring camp following Tommy John surgery on his left elbow in December, though he is expected to be a full participant in training camp this summer.
"For me, everything that I've been able to do here over the last three years, and all the opportunities that I've had here, it's only right that I finish what I started," Al-Shaair said following a 50-3 win in December's Boca Bowl.
Al-Shaair was joined in D.C. by Michigan men's basketball player Austin Hatch, Georgia State volleyball player Crystal Lee, Florida State tennis player Guy Iradukunda, and former South Florida softball star Meredith Bissette.
"Everyone has their own story and everything they've been through, so to see how they overcame their obstacles, it was real cool," Al-Shaair said.
[The Sporting News projects FAU to play Houston in Gasparilla Bowl on Dec. 20]
[Does Florida Atlantic have too much depth at key positions entering 2018 football season?]
[Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley on Florida Atlantic: "I think they're more talented than many Power Five teams."]
[Chicago Bears cornerback Cre'Von LeBlanc hosts second "Strap 4 It" youth camp with former FAU teammates]
[What does Lane Kiffin's new contract extension mean for FAU going forward?]
Author Jake ElmanPosted on June 27, 2018 Categories Azeez Al-Shaair, Florida Atlantic UniversityTags Azeez Al-Shaair, faufocus, Florida Atlantic Owls, sports, sportsfront1 Comment on FAU linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair among five student-athletes honored with Wilma Rudolph Award
What does Lane Kiffin's new contract extension mean for FAU going forward?
Florida Atlantic Owls head coach Lane Kiffin celebrates with fans after winning the Shula Bowl against FIU Golden Panthers at FAU Stadium in Boca Raton, Florida on November 19, 2017. (Allen Eyestone / The Palm Beach Post)
BOCA RATON — On the eve of his second season at Florida Atlantic, head football coach Lane Kiffin finally has his new contract.
Kiffin, 43, was joined by school president Dr. John Kelly and athletic director Brian White in finalizing a six-year contract extension this week. The contract, which would tentatively have Kiffin coaching FAU through 2027, is loaded with incentives that would significantly boost his pay if the Owls can repeat last season's record-breaking campaign in the years to come.
Kiffin initially verbally agreed to a contract extension on Dec. 19, hours before the Owls defeated Akron in the Boca Raton Bowl for their tenth straight win. FAU posted its first winning season since 2008 with an 11-3 mark and captured the first Conference USA title in team history after a 41-17 win over North Texas on Dec. 2.
In the wake of Kiffin's contract extension, FAU fans were rightfully curious about what the transaction means for their football coach and the university going forward. Here are some of the key details fans need to know and consider when discussing Kiffin's new contract.
What does this mean for Lane Kiffin?
For one thing, the new contract means a chance at Kiffin earning more money thanks to incentives for postseason appearances, Top 25 finishes, and how the team performs academically. Kiffin could go from a $950,000 base salary this season to making over $1 million with the incentives — and while that's far from the $11 million that former boss Nick Saban is making at Alabama, it's a pay raise for a coach who has earned it.
A high-ranking athletic department source perhaps put it best when it was verbally agreed upon six months ago: So long as he avoids any major scandals or "forgets how to coach," the Owls' success last season, in effect, earned Kiffin a lifetime deal by transforming a team which hadn't posted a winning season since 2008 into a C-USA powerhouse.
Kiffin has been forthright in acknowledging he enjoys living in Boca Raton and not having the pressure he did elsewhere. Late last season, Kiffin joked to reporters about the transition of not needing to deal with a valet when he shopped at Publix or be rushed by fans while out to dinner.
There is no argument that, as the phrase goes, "Lane is Lane." Kiffin will create the occasional stir with a tweet or go viral for comments made in a press conference, but FAU knows the benefits of keeping Kiffin long-term — or, at the very least, making it known publicly they want him as their coach through 2027 and beyond.
What does this mean for Florida Atlantic?
Few will deny that not only has Kiffin had an impact on the football program and the athletic department, but the university as a whole over the past 18 months. Kelly has publicly and privately boasted about out-of-state admissions rising nearly 40 percent from the 2016-17 academic year to this past school year in large part because Kiffin has helped make FAU a national brand. When "College Gameday" or "SportsCenter" airs a story detailing Kiffin's success at FAU, that raises awareness for those who hadn't considered applying to the school.
From the school's eyes, Kiffin became arguably the most marketable figure in school history last season thanks to t-shirts, posters, and a "Lane Train" which rides through campus. Four of FAU's 12 games this season will air on national television, including the Sept. 1 opener at Oklahoma (Fox) and the long-awaited Sept. 21 showdown with UCF (ESPN).
Though FAU Stadium isn't selling out every game, the athletic department (and NCAA) have to be happy about FAU posting the third-largest growth in per game attendance — 8,875 more fans came to games last year, behind only Purdue and Akron — and bringing life to a once-empty student section. A football team which averages over 40 points per game and wins their final ten games helps bring more fans to the stadium, but having a coach as marketable and popular as Kiffin has also proven itself as a draw.
If Kiffin leaves after this year, was the extension for nothing?
This was a common thought in the hours after news of Kiffin's contract extension became official, though there's a level of perspective involved. When Kelly and then-athletic director Pat Chun chose Kiffin as their head coach in Dec. 2016, they knew they weren't immediately landing someone who would spend the next 10-15 years bringing fans and championships to Boca Raton; if Kiffin left early, that was because he had enough personal and team success with the Owls to where a marquee program was ready to give him an opportunity.
Kiffin leaving could very still happen, whether it's after this season or in three years. A struggling Power 5 program willing to hire Kiffin with the hopes of him reviving them the way he did FAU — programs like Baylor, Illinois, or Syracuse — might have enough power to lure him away from Boca Raton. The college football coaching carousel has proven to be wild enough that, when Saban eventually decides to leave Alabama, Kiffin could realistically go from Conference USA directly back to the SEC and replace his former boss.
The lack of a buyout clause in the final five years of Kiffin's contract has alarmed some fans, though this is once again about perspective. For now, Lane Kiffin, with his visor and his Twitter, is at Florida Atlantic for this year and possibly the next decade. After years of waiting for the football team to break out and thrive, the continued presence of Kiffin in itself has to be a win for the university.
[FAU coach Lane Kiffin says he was asked to wear bulletproof vest during 2014 return to Tennessee]
[Florida Atlantic running back Devin Singletary named preseason second-team All-American by Athlon Sports]
[Notebook: Florida Atlantic introduces "Paradise Pricing" for 2018 football season; key Owls staffer departs for ACC]
[Lane Kiffin defends hiring 25-year-old Charlie Weis Jr. as offensive coordinator in ESPN interview]
Author Jake ElmanPosted on June 22, 2018 June 22, 2018 Categories Brian White, Florida Atlantic University, John Kelly, Lane KiffinTags Brian White, faufocus, Florida Atlantic Owls, John Kelly, Lane Kiffin, sports, sportsfront1 Comment on What does Lane Kiffin's new contract extension mean for FAU going forward?
Lane Kiffin signs incentive-laden contract to remain Florida Atlantic's football coach
Florida Atlantic Owls head coach Lane Kiffin holds up 10 fingers as fans cheer 10 more years. Kiffin agreed to a contract extension before the Cheribundi Tart Cherry Boca Raton Bowl in Boca Raton, Florida on December 19, 2017. (Allen Eyestone / The Palm Beach Post)
BOCA RATON — Six months after Lane Kiffin verbally agreed to a six-year extension to remain Florida Atlantic University's football coach until 2027, the contract has officially been signed by the second-year coach, school president Dr. John Kelly, and athletic director Brian White.
And while the overall base figures aren't eye-popping, it is loaded with incentives that will significantly boost Kiffin's pay if he can repeat the success he had during his first season in Boca Raton.
The Palm Beach Post obtained a copy of the contract via a public records request.
Kiffin's base salary at $950,000 will not change, though a retention bonus of $50,000 has been added to the contract. The new contract also provides incentives for FAU making the Conference USA title game ($20,000), losing the championship game but receiving an at-large bowl bid ($10,000), and winning the title game ($40,000).
The Owls won the Conference USA title game with a 41-17 thrashing of North Texas on December 2 at FAU Stadium. Later that month they demolished Akron 50-3 in the Boca Raton Bowl to cap an 11-3 season. FAU won nine games in the three seasons before Kiffin was hired.
In the case that FAU makes the College Football Playoff, Kiffin would earn an extra $100,000. Kiffin would be rewarded $1 million if FAU won a national championship, which is up from $700,000 in the original contract. Making the CFP semifinal game nets Kiffin $250,000 and making the title game, even if the Owls lose, is another $500,000.
Added bonuses could include:
• $50,000 for FAU ending the season ranked in the Top 25
• $100,000 for ending in the Top 10
• $1 million if FAU finishes three straight seasons as a Top 10 team.
Earning those bonuses is not as farfetched as it seemed when Kiffin took over the program. USA Today and Sports Illustrated ranked the Owls 17th and 24th, respectively, in the national polls they released last month after spring football practices ended.
Kiffin will earn an extra $10,000 if the football team finishes with an Academic Progress Rate of 940 or better and up to $250,000 if FAU finishes with a top 10 national APR for three consecutive seasons.
"I think (the talk of a new contract) shows a lot," Kiffin told The Post on Dec. 18, a day before agreeing to the contract. "It shows where we are as a program, what the leadership of the university feels about us and the direction that we're headed is great."
In his first head coaching job in four years, Kiffin led the Owls to a turnaround season in 2017 for their first winning record since 2008. FAU enters the 2018 season on a ten-game winning streak and is expected by many to repeat as Conference USA champions.
Dr. Kelly told The Post in March he believed the contract would be approved in the coming months, with a team source later saying all parties hoped to finalize the deal before July 1. Former Owls athletic director Pat Chun departed the university in January before being replaced by White in March.
FAUOwlAccess.com was the first to report the deal was official.
[Former Palm Beach Lakes defensive back Teja Young looks to become next local star at Florida Atlantic]
Author Jake ElmanPosted on June 21, 2018 June 21, 2018 Categories Florida Atlantic University, Football, Lane KiffinTags Brian White, faufocus, Florida Atlantic Owls, John Kelly, Lane Kiffin, Pat Chun, sports, sportsfront6 Comments on Lane Kiffin signs incentive-laden contract to remain Florida Atlantic's football coach
Notebook: Florida Atlantic introduces "Paradise Pricing" for 2018 football season; key Owls staffer departs for ACC
FAU Owl fans at FAU Stadium in Boca Raton, Florida on September 1, 2017. (Allen Eyestone / The Palm Beach Post)
BOCA RATON — After the most successful season in school history, Florida Atlantic is going with an atypical approach to how the school will pricing at FAU Stadium this year.
Rather than raise prices after the Owls' 11-3 2017 season under head coach Lane Kiffin, the Owls announced the implementation "Paradise Pricing" on Monday. An à la carte menu with traditional stadium food such as hot dogs, potato chips, and nachos will be available for $5 or less for all FAU fans, including students.
The first 1,000 students who show an OWL card, a form of student identification that also allows them to attend the game for free, will also receive two free slices of pizza. In-stadium outlets such as Subway are not affected by the "Paradise Pricing" and will continue to sell their food at regular prices.
A full menu can be seen below.
(FAU Athletics)
After years of attendance issues, FAU averaged 18,948 fans per game last season, up from 10,073 in 2016. That jump of 8,875 fans per game in a stadium which holds 29,419 fans ranked third in Division I, only behind Purdue (13,433) and Akron (9,232). The NCAA views the Owls' Dec. 19 Boca Bowl win over Akron as a home game because FAU was playing in its home stadium.
Akron was the designated home team in a Boca Bowl that saw 25,912 fans in attendance, the second-highest mark in the game's four-year history.
Conference USA instead counts FAU's attendance as 17,953 fans per game, which ranked 10th in the conference ahead of only Western Kentucky, Middle Tennessee, FIU, and Charlotte. FAU finished 7th in C-USA with 61 percent of the stadium filled on average despite inconsistent turnouts from the student section, though the athletic department is confident that a winning program and improved concession pricing will lead to more students attending games in 2018.
FAU will begin its home schedule with a Sept. 8 game against Air Force (2:00 p.m., CBS Sports Network's Facebook page) and will also host Bethune-Cookman, Old Dominion, La. Tech, Western Kentucky, and Charlotte this season.
Key recruiter leaves for ACC: Landan Salem, who joined the Owls as their Director of Player Personnel and Pro Liaison in March 2017, announced through Twitter that he is leaving FAU to join the Syracuse Orange as their Director of Recruiting.
Salem was viewed as an "unheralded hero" in the program for adding several high-caliber prospects that previously may not have considered FAU. Salem was also in charge of running the now-yearly "Lane Kiffin Football Camps. Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State Oregon, and Texas are among the Power 5 programs which have attended those camps the past two seasons.
"If it wasn't for you I won't be at FAU," senior receiver DeAndre McNeal wrote to Salem on Twitter. "You were the behind the scene head hauncho (sic) of this place."
@TheLandanSalem Proud of you sir if it wasn't for you I won't be at FAU. You were the Behind the scene head hauncho of this place much love to you boss!!
— The DeAndre McNeal (@DeAndreMcNeal3) June 19, 2018
FootballScoop.com was the first to report Salem was headed for the ACC.
Signing class nearly all enrolled: Per FAU's online football roster, 15 of the 17 players from this year's recruiting class have enrolled in classes and are participating in summer workouts. Kissimmee-Osceola running back Malcolm Davidson, one of the few players still to arrive, confirmed via text message to The Post he is reporting to school on Thursday.
Garden City C.C. (Kan.) cornerback Meiko Dotson and Hutchinson C.C. (Kan.) running back B.J. Emmons both have yet to enroll. One team source said Emmons, who played for Kiffin at Alabama in 2016, is finishing academic requirements and would likely arrive next summer, while Dotson has "been quiet" in recent months.
There is no update on when Longwood-Lyman defensive end Deon Woods will enroll. Classes for FAU's second shortened summer session officially begin Saturday.
Neither Dotson nor Emmons returned a request to comment.
[How is Florida Atlantic affected by new NCAA transfer, scholarship rules?]
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Author Jake ElmanPosted on June 19, 2018 Categories 2018 football season, Florida Atlantic University, FootballTags 2018 FAU Signing Class, B.J. Emmons, Dalton Hustad, DeAndre McNeal, faufocus, Florida Atlantic Owls, Landan Salem, Lane Kiffin, Malcolm Davidson, Meiko Dotson, sports, sportsfrontLeave a comment on Notebook: Florida Atlantic introduces "Paradise Pricing" for 2018 football season; key Owls staffer departs for ACC
How is Florida Atlantic affected by new NCAA transfer, scholarship rules?
The Owls enter the field against FIU at FAU Stadium in Boca Raton, Florida on November 19, 2017. (Allen Eyestone / The Palm Beach Post)
COCONUT CREEK — The NCAA has taken another step forward in giving more powers to student-athletes.
In a news release posted Wednesday afternoon, the NCAA Division I Council confirmed that the organization will adopt significant rule changes to the eligibility and transfer process beginning this season. The "notification-of-transfer" policy, which allowed a school to determine where a player could and could not transfer, has been revised to where a student-athlete can freely transfer wherever they want regardless of the new school's conference or location.
That process will go into effect on Oct. 15, though Power 5 conferences will continue to meet in the coming weeks to discuss how the changes affect scholarship and financial aid.
"The membership showed today that it supports this significant change in transfer rules," said Justin Sell, chair of the Division I Transfer Working Group and athletics director at South Dakota State. "I'm proud of the effort the Transfer Working Group put forth to make this happen for student-athletes, coaches and schools."
Previous NCAA transfer rules regulated that a student-athlete was required to tell their coaches and the university they planned on transferring. The school would then provide a list of schools, usually those in conference or within the region, that the athlete could not transfer to. A Florida Atlantic football player looking to transfer, for example, may not have been allowed to transfer to FIU or any team within Conference USA in past years.
While emphasizing that he wants to see student-athletes finish their careers in Boca Raton rather than transferring, FAU athletic director Brian White told The Post he supports the rule changes.
"I think it's a good rule in the end and we'll see how it plays out and affects college athletics," White said at the "Winning in Paradise Tour" in Coconut Creek on Wednesday night. "Ideally, we want our coaches to develop student-athletes over time and to build programs, but (we also want) student-athletes to do what they think is best for their career. It doesn't seem right to me to be able to tell them they can't transfer."
Several Power 5 programs have come under fire in recent months for restricting transfers even as student-athletes look to further their academic careers. Former Miami quarterback Evan Shirreffs, a business major set to graduate after three seasons, was initially barred from transferring to other ACC programs earlier this year before UM's appeals committee later ruled he could transfer to Duke, North Carolina, or Virginia because of their successful sports MBA programs.
Shirreffs instead transferred to UNC-Charlotte, a rebuilding C-USA program which will play FAU on Nov. 24.
"You never want to hear that a student has to leave or go to another place to get a degree that they could get at FAU," White said, "but that being said, if you're doing the right things by student-athletes and prioritizing them, do what's right by them. If that's your mindset, them going on and pursuing a degree you may not have, be happy for them. … They work their tails off, they do the right things, and they want to pursue opportunities, it's great for them."
Men's basketball coach Dusty May called the rule changes "positive steps," though he did acknowledge his perspective was different as he enters his first head coaching job. May was hired on March 22, less than a month after FAU appointed White to replace Pat Chun as the athletic director.
"If a player's not happy where they are, change is a part of college basketball," May said. "Being a first-time head coach, I've never experienced it. I would be disappointed that they were leaving, but I definitely wouldn't discourage them from going to any other school. They put in the time, they've worked hard, and we want whatever is best for them."
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Author Jake ElmanPosted on June 14, 2018 Categories Florida Atlantic University, FootballTags Brian White, Dusty May, faufocus, Florida Atlantic Owls, Grad Transfers, Lane Kiffin, sports, sportsfront, TransfersLeave a comment on How is Florida Atlantic affected by new NCAA transfer, scholarship rules?