Lane Kiffin has described his decision to leave Ole Miss for LSU as 'excruciating and difficult' after walking away from a team bound for the College Football Playoff. The new LSU head coach spoke at his introductory press conference on Monday, revealing that he had tried to negotiate a way to remain with the Rebels through the postseason but was unable to reach an agreement.
Kiffin, 50, signed a seven-year, $91 million contract with LSU, making him the second-highest-paid coach in college football with an average annual salary of $13 million. Along with the substantial pay rise from his $9 million per year at Ole Miss, the deal includes incentives that could see him earn up to $1 million based on how far the Rebels advance in the playoffs this season.
During the press conference, Kiffin acknowledged the difficulty of leaving Ole Miss after an 11-1 regular season, saying: 'We tried every possible thing [in negotiations] for a long time the other night and into the morning … We presented a plan [to stay through the College Football Playoff]. At the end of the day, that’s their decision. And I respect that.'
Kiffin revealed that he consulted with former championship-winning coaches Nick Saban and Pete Carroll before making the move. He praised Saban, who led LSU to a national title in 2003, saying: 'I think the world of Coach Saban, and I respect him. And so there’s a reason we’re here.' Explaining his attraction to the LSU programme, Kiffin said: '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 departs Ole Miss with a 55-19 record over five seasons, including five straight bowl wins. His coaching career has been a rollercoaster, with previous stints at Tennessee, Southern California, Florida Atlantic, and a brief and unsuccessful spell with the NFL's Oakland Raiders. He now takes over an LSU side that expects to compete for championships, with Kiffin promising to make the Tigers 'the best program in all of college football'.
