Before Lane Kiffin dramatically departed Ole Miss for LSU over the weekend, the Rebels tried to get their now-former head coach to stay. While it’s not necessarily a surprise that Kiffin wanted to leave for the “best job in football” and a program with incredible resources, Ole Miss did what they could to convince him to stay.
Over his six years in Oxford, Kiffin guided Ole Miss to unprecedented success with four 10-win seasons and the team on the precipice of their first College Football Playoff appearance. He was on track to become an Ole Miss legend, a coach they would build a statue of if they won the national championship.
Ole Miss was also willing to match any offer he received from other programs, bring in top assistants and ensured he had strong job security—even if the Rebels had a down year in the future. However, CBS Sports’ John Talty reported that this wasn’t convincing for Kiffin. Instead, Talty said that one person claimed Kiffin was “ready for change” even before the start of the season.
One Ole Miss booster told Talty, "He needs something to chase. Once you have conquered all and there is nothing left to chase, it's time to go."
Though Ole Miss fans chanted “We want Lane” at the team’s final home game this year, Talty noted that Kiffin “privately complained about the fanbase,” finding the turnout at games underwhelming compared to LSU and Florida, and questioning if the Rebels could actually win a national championship or sustain their success. Kiffin notably said at his introductory press conference for LSU on Monday that there is nothing like being at Tiger Stadium on a Saturday night.
Along with Kiffin’s own skepticism about the ceiling of his Ole Miss job, several of his mentors advised him to head to LSU, including Pete Carroll. After all, he didn’t want to risk missing the opportunity for one of the sports’ top jobs, a position he hasn’t held since he was left on the tarmac after USC fired him. He hasn’t shied away from a messy exit in the past, and ultimately believes LSU offers a better chance at his ultimate goal—winning a national championship.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Why Ole Miss' Pitch to Keep Lane Kiffin Didn't Sway New LSU Coach.
