Lane Kiffin was introduced as LSU’s new head coach on Monday, and he strongly suggested that Nick Saban played a significant role in his decision to take the job.
Kiffin said he sought a great deal of advice when weighing whether to leave Ole Miss for LSU, and that he was repeatedly told he would regret it if he passed up the chance to coach the Tigers. He specifically cited Pete Carroll as someone who encouraged him to take the job.
When it came to Saban, Kiffin was more tight-lipped, but he strongly implied that the former Alabama coach had also told him to take the job.
“Coach Saban coached at another place in this conference, so I can’t say exactly what he said,” Kiffin said, via Stewart Mandel of The Athletic. “But I think the world of Coach Saban, I respect him, and there’s a reason I’m here.”
Saban, of course, coached at LSU from 2000 to 2004, going 48-16 and winning a BCS National Championship. Apparently he put in a good word on behalf of his former school.
Kiffin’s comments are unlikely to calm Ole Miss fans who are furious with him for leaving. It is clear, however, that he viewed the LSU job as too good to pass up, and those he sought out for advice largely agreed with him.
