Ed Orgeron explains what really happened during LSU’s failed recruitment of Lane Kiffin
By Adam Spencer
Published:
LSU very nearly landed former Alabama offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin for the same position this offseason, but as we all know, Kiffin will enter the 2017 season as the head coach for Florida Atlantic.
Instead, coach Ed Orgeron hired Matt Canada to be the Tigers’ offensive coordinator, but in a profile by SBNation, he explained just how close Kiffin was to coming to Baton Rouge.
Coach O said FAU was Kiffin’s last interview and he felt that might not be a big enough program to entice Kiffin:
“I know probably — and I can’t blame them — I know that Alabama probably didn’t want him to come here,” Orgeron says. “I’m assuming they did everything they could to get him a head job. But he was honest with us. He said, ‘Coach, I’m coming to LSU unless I get a head job, and I want a head job.’
“We thought he had the Houston job. He woulda been dynamite there. Dynamite. Then we hear about Florida Atlantic, and we didn’t think he’d take that. But he calls and says, ‘Hey man, I’m coming. I’ve got one more meeting, and I’m just going to listen to them.’ Ended up, he took the job.”
Obviously, Coach O was disappointed Kiffin didn’t come to LSU, but it sounds like he does legitimately wish him the best of luck at FAU. Plus, by nearly all accounts, Canada is doing a great job with the Tigers’ offense this summer.
The whole profile is worth a read, and can be found here.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
