Lane Kiffin revealed a lot during his introductory press conference at LSU. Perhaps most notably, he told reporters what athletic director Verge Ausberry said to him that helped push him to leave Ole Miss for Baton Rouge.
Kiffin was asked what Ausberry said that enticed him about leading the Tigers. Despite having a great team at Ole Miss and talking to Florida about its open job, the 50-year-old picked LSU. Something the school’s athletic director said helped that decision.
“‘I’m gonna leave you alone and let you coach the team.’ I like when I hear that,” Kiffin said. “‘We’re going to give you everything to win. I’m gonna leave you alone, go coach the team, and bring us championships.’ So, you know, Verge isn’t real long-winded in those meetings, as some other people, and he gets right to the point. I really liked that. So, he sparked my interest from the first time I talked to him.”
That is a big deal. In the world of college athletics, big programs can have a lot of cooks in the kitchen. From big donors to athletic directors to school presidents, it can be a minefield to operate. Most coaches want to run their program their way. Kiffin seems to think that’s what LSU offered him.
We know he’ll make a ton of money with the Tigers, but Ole Miss offered him virtually the same deal to stay. He opted to leave. Based on his comments, he saw more upside at LSU.
LSU wanted Kiffin to coach Ole Miss in College Football Playoff
During the press conference, Ausberry revealed what many suspected. LSU was willing to allow Kiffin to coach Ole Miss during the College Football Playoff if he was allowed.
Ausberry says he told Kiffin, “You get to the playoffs, please coach the team.”
Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter refused to allow Kiffin to do so and even barred him from attending a team meeting before the coach’s departure. For his part, Kiffin said he respected and understood Carter’s decision.
The Rebels moved swiftly to name defensive coordinator Pete Golding its new permanent head coach. It will be the 41-year-old’s first job as a head coach at any level, and he’ll inherit a team that is 11-1 and set for its first College Football Playoff berth.
Kiffin will now have to build his own playoff squad at LSU.
More College Football on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Lane Kiffin Reveals Simple Message From LSU AD That Convinced Him to Leave Ole Miss.
