Kiffin laments circumstances of his Ole Miss exit, but says he couldn’t pass up LSU

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Lane Kiffin called his last six years at Ole Miss “the best six years” of his life, then tried to explain why he felt compelled to leave Oxford, Miss., and take over an LSU football program he always admired from afar.

“I’ve looked at this place for a long time, having been on the other side of this stadium, this place is different, and that’s why we’re here,” Kiffin said. “LSU is the best job in football. When you take the history, the tradition, the passion and the great players of the state of Louisiana… when you’re at Tiger Stadium on Saturday night, there’s nothing like it.”

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Kiffin was flown out Sunday night on a private plane with LSU athletic director Verge Ausberry.

On Monday afternoon, he stood at a podium before a celebratory crowd of LSU dignitaries in an upscale club lounge with a panoramic view of Tiger Stadium, where huge video boards were lit with his name and likeness.

“I felt like everyone I talked to outside of the state I was in (Mississippi) all said basically the same thing,” Kiffin said, acknowledging that he also received a “unique, great call” from Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry during LSU court.

“They all said, ‘Man, you’re going to regret this if you don’t try and go to LSU. It’s the best job in America with the best resources,'” Kiffin said.

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Ausberry said Kiffin’s name was the first on everyone’s lips when LSU search officials first met to discuss candidates.

Kiffin, meanwhile, said he liked that Ausberry told him, “I’m going to leave you alone and let you coach the team.”

Kiffin now has a seven-year contract that pays him about $13 million per year, making him, at the moment, the second-highest paid coach in college football. Kiffin said he received similar offers from Ole Miss and Florida, but LSU’s plan to raise money to pay players impressed him the most.

Just three days earlier, Kiffin left a football field with triumphant Ole Miss players after an Egg Bowl victory at Mississippi State that secured the first 11-win regular season in Rebels history. Kiffin wanted to continue coaching the Rebels into the College Football Playoff and made his case during more than a day of prolonged negotiations with Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter over the weekend.

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Kiffin said that while he thought most people across the country agreed that he should be able to coach during the postseason, he also respected Carter’s position because Carter would still have to live in Oxford once the season ended. Even after Kiffin moved on to the Rebels’ historic rivals in neighboring Louisiana.

Kiffin said he was torn and making the decision to leave Ole Miss was excruciating and extremely difficult. He said he was grateful to the people of Oxford, as well as his Rebels players and assistant coaches, both for his success as a coach and for the quality of life he enjoyed while there.

“It was amazing,” Kiffin said. “It will forever be an important part of my story.”

Kiffin also recounted her unsettling ride to Oxford Airport with her son, Knox, on Sunday evening.

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“People were trying to run us off the road, man, and the things they said to us,” Kiffin said. “But it’s the SEC. I’ve been around long enough to know that, and that’s just the passion of the SEC. I’m not upset about those reactions from the fans, from the people. I think people are really upset when you leave somewhere because they feel hurt because you’re doing a really good job.”

Kiffin said his last 48 hours had been very difficult and “in a lot of ways it sucked. That’s the only way I can describe it. It sucked for a lot of people.”

He also couldn’t help but think, when he was greeted by cheering fans outside the Baton Rouge airport, that he hadn’t “done anything yet.”

Kiffin, 50, is entering his sixth head coaching job. He was kicked out of a couple. He was criticized – and also said he regretted – for not spending more than a year at Tennessee before taking the opportunity to coach Southern California.

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But he appreciated the excitement surrounding his arrival, and as he passed Tiger Stadium, all lit up Sunday night, he called his old friend and former LSU coach Ed Orgeron.

He recounted with a smile that he told Orgeron, “This place just makes me want to talk like you right now.”

And then Kiffin imitated himself a night earlier, summoning a low, raspy voice and Cajun accent, like Orgeron, shouting, “Go Tigers!”

Kiffin said Orgeron told him, “Coach, you’re in the best place in America.”

And Kiffin replied, “I feel that way.” »

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