Lane Kiffin made a bold proclamation during his introductory press conference at LSU.
“I can sum it up by saying this, this place is different,” Kiffin said. “I’m very grateful for the opportunity to lead one of the elite programs in all of sports... The opportunity at LSU, as I said before, is just different.”
He then added that someone close to him had reminded him, “That LSU is the best job in football.”
“When you take the history, tradition, passion, and the great players in the state of Louisiana, no one can argue that when you’re in Tiger Stadium on Saturday night there is nothing like it,” Kiffin added.
Another key point Kiffin made was that he felt there was alignment at LSU from top to bottom. He believed everyone was pulling in the same direction in aiming toward returning the program to the top of college football.
“I felt through this process that definitely, the leadership here at LSU was all aligned and all in place to give us that,” Kiffin said.
The number one thing in this state is to get LSU Football back to the championship level where it was at before. @Lane_Kiffin | #GeauxTigers pic.twitter.com/fEXslFjyAB
— LSU Football (@LSUfootball) December 1, 2025
The 50-year-old head coach was also effusive in his praise for Ole Miss and explained that he had hoped to coach the team in the College Football Playoff, but the school’s administration nixed that idea. He reiterated that he respected the decision.
We now know how much Kiffin will be paid, and that Ole Miss was offering virtually the same deal. Compensation wasn’t what drew him to Baton Rouge. The ceiling on LSU’s program is as high as any in the country. What he had in Oxford couldn’t measure up to that.
Lane Kiffin’s career record
LSU is Kiffin’s sixth stop as a head coach, and his fifth in college football.
He began his head coaching career with the Raiders in 2007 and was fired early in his second season after amassing a 5-15 record.
He then spent one season at Tennessee in 2009, going 7-6, but he jumped to USC shortly after. He spent four seasons leading the Trojans and went 28-15, but was fired after a 3-2 start to the 2013 season.
After a few years as Alabama’s offensive coordinator under Nick Saban, he was hired at Florida Atlantic in December 2016. In three years leading the Owls, Kiffin amassed a 26-13 record and two Conference USA titles. That success led Ole Miss to hire him away.
Kiffin spent six seasons at Ole Miss and went 55-19 overall and 32-17 in the SEC. He secured double-digit wins in four of his final five seasons, finished in the top 15 three times, and had the Rebels 11-1 this season. They are all but guaranteed a spot in the College Football Playoff.
Over 14 college seasons, Kiffin boasts a 117-53 (.688) record and has firmly established himself as one of the best coaches in the spot.
More College Football on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Lane Kiffin Made a Lofty Proclamation About LSU During Introductory Press Conference.
