Lane Kiffin says his ‘heart’ was in Oxford before talking with mentors Nick Saban, Pete Carroll
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Lane Kiffin cited conversations with legendary coaches Nick Saban and Pete Carroll when discussing his decision to leave Ole Miss for LSU this weekend.
Kiffin said Carroll and Saban had an impact on him when speaking with ESPN’s Marty Smith shortly before he boarded a plane for Baton Rouge on Sunday.
“My heart was here, but I talked to some mentors, coach Carroll, coach Saban,” Kiffin said.
Carroll, in-particular, seemed to have an impact.
“Coach Carroll said, ‘you known, your dad would tell you to go and take the shot … you accomplished a lot here,” Kiffin said.
Kiffin’s father, Monte Kiffin, passed away in July of 2024. The elder Kiffin worked for a number of college programs and NFL franchises during a career that spanned decades.
Here’s a clip of Kiffin’s full interview with Smith:
Kiffin will now try to accomplish what Nick Saban did as LSU’s head coach: Win a National Championship. The Tigers last won the title in 2019 with Joe Burrow leading the way on offense. LSU will hope to have a national title contender once again in 2026 under Kiffin’s leadership.
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
