Lane Kiffin Reflects on LSU Move and the Advice That Sent Him on the Jet

Lane Kiffin will replace Brian Kelly as LSU’s head coach, departing Ole Miss after six seasons in Oxford, Mississippi.

Lane Kiffin Reflects on LSU Move and the Advice That Sent Him on the Jet

Lane Kiffin at the Egg Bowl, his last coaching game for the Rebels (Image via Getty)

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Former Fresno State quarterback and veteran college football head coach Lane Kiffin recently announced that he’ll be leaving Ole Miss after six years, right after leading them to their best season, for the LSU Tigers. As he boarded the flight to Baton Rouge, several Rebels’ fans gathered at the airport, where they sent off Kiffin with boos and obscene profanities.

Under Kiffin this year, the Ole Miss Rebels defeated the Tigers and the Oklahoma Sooners on the way to an 11-win season, their first in college’s long-storied history. Understandably, Kiffin leaving right before the playoffs isn’t the ideal future that many expected to happen in Oxford this year.

While the situation painted Kiffin as the villain, he insists he was committed to coaching the Rebels to a title. According to him, it was athletic director Keith Carter who ultimately made the call to move on and promoted Pete Golding as their head coach for the playoffs and beyond.

In a 3-minute interview with Marty Smith just ahead of his flight to Baton Rouge, Kiffin addressed his departure. He admitted that the decision didn’t come easy as he has a lot of feelings and emotions tied to the college and the city. He also addressed the commotion and hoped that as things settle, people would be appreciative of what they had achieved this year.

It was really difficult… I know there are a lot of feelings and emotions around right now. I hope when they settle down that there’s an appreciation about what we were able to do here and having the best run that’s ever been done in the history of the school. Brought some exciting times. I’m so appreciative of the people of Oxford and the relationships that I developed here.

Lane Kiffin said

Kiffin also said he wasn’t included in the meeting where the decision was made to keep him from coaching the Rebels in the playoffs. However, Kiffin expressed that he understood why Carter wanted him to be out of the meeting. He explained that Carter had to also look at the sentiments outside and take an appropriate decision.

In his introductory press conference in Louisiana, Lane Kiffin reiterated that it was an excruciating decision, and he had tried every plan to extend his stay until after the playoffs. Nonetheless, the management in Oxford wasn’t willing to let him stay after he had committed to LSU.

Pete Carroll and Nick Saban played a role in Lane Kiffin’s move to Baton Rouge

Lane Kiffin would now coach the LSU Tigers, who are in shambles and fired their head coach, Brian Kelly, during the season. Kiffin is no stranger to LSU. His daughter, Landry Kiffin’s boyfriend Whit Weeks, is a linebacker there, and his son, Knox Kiffin, has expressed his desire to play for the Tigers before. He also recently posted a cryptic Instagram post bidding adieu to Oxford, where he plays as the quarterback for Oxford High School.

Lane Kiffin
Lane Kiffin in his introductory press conference (Image via AP)

Though Kiffin’s heart was dead set on Oxford and the Rebels, he knew that his time there was over. He realized that he had achieved a lot and done a lot of things for the program, and mentioned that his mentors, Pete Carroll and Nick Saban, played a huge role in leading him to this decision.

My heart was here (Oxford), but I talked to some mentors, coach (Pete) Carroll, coach (Nick) Saban, you know, and especially when coach Carroll said, ‘Your dad would tell you to go. Take the shot. Take the shot. You’ve accomplished a lot here.’

Kiffin said in the interview

The coach added that while he felt pride in what he’s achieved in Oxford, he had to heed what his gut and his faith told him. Lane Kiffin will now return to the sidelines later next year on September 5 when the Tigers open the season against the Clemson Tigers and Dabo Swinney. He’ll face his former team, Ole Miss, later in the season when the Tigers travel to Oxford.

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