Among the people that Lane Kiffin consulted while deciding where he would coach next season, former USC coach and current Raiders head coach Pete Carroll was one of them.
During an interview with ESPN on Sunday, Kiffin revealed that he spoke with the former college football coach, along with ex-Alabama coach Nick Saban.
“I talked to some mentors, coach Carroll, coach Saban,” he said. “And especially when Coach Carroll said, ‘Your dad would tell you to go, man. Take the shot. Take the shot, you accomplished a lot [at Ole Miss].’”
Kiffin finally ended weeks of speculation on Sunday when he officially took the job as LSU’s new head coach.
The entire process took all of Saturday and Sunday before Kiffin came to the decision, which he described as “really difficult” while calling Oxford a “really special place.”
“I know that there’s a lot of feelings and emotions right now. I hope when they settle down, that there’s an appreciation about what we were able to do here,” he said. “Having the best run that’s ever been done in the history of the school and brought some exciting times. I’m so appreciative to the people of Oxford and the relationships that I developed here.”
He added: “Just prayed a lot and made a family decision and hopefully get a chance to go impact a whole new set of people.”
Kiffin may have to wait a bit for the dust to settle for that appreciation to set in.
The former Ole Miss coach was given a chilly sendoff at University-Oxford Airport on Sunday as fans gathered outside the fence and booed, cursing the departing coach and his entourage as they boarded two planes headed to Baton Rouge.
Part of what held up the decision was Kiffin’s attempt to remain as head coach of Ole Miss through the postseason and then depart after the year had come to a close.
Kiffin reportedly threatened to raid the Ole Miss coaching staff if the school and athletic director Keith Carter blocked him from doing that, and he appeared to take aim at Carter in his statement announcing his decision on Sunday.
Kiffin had also been asked not to go to the team meeting on Sunday afternoon before he left for LSU, which he said was Carter’s decision.
“I totally respect Keith’s decision,” Kiffin said. “He asked me not to come to the meeting, and said I couldn’t come. Which I totally understand. I don’t know that I necessarily agree with that. We’re trying to find a way to make this work and coach the team, and give the team the best chance to win, but he’s also got a job to do. Like he said, he has to live here, so maybe all the national people understand why he should let me coach, but he has to live here and it’s a little different when you’re the AD.
“Totally respect that and Keith has been amazing to us over the six years.”
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