Lane Kiffin speaks on ties to Auburn football job opening
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Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin has finally discussed his perspective on the Auburn situation back in November.
During an interview with ESPN, Kiffin opened up about the difficulties that came with being linked to the opening.
"We screw up all the time," he said. "But when you think you're doing the right thing and then you're really criticized for it -- especially by your own people -- I struggled with that because I feel like I went through a decision-making process that you're supposed to go through. I mean, you got to decide. It's your life and your family's life."
According to ESPN, throughout the time between October 31st - the day Harsin was fired - and the Wednesday night before the Mississippi State game, Kiffin remained as silent as possible, weighing his options before eventually telling the team that Wednesday he would be staying at Ole Miss.
"I felt that it would have been a distraction to make this big statement 24 hours before the game and making it about me," Kiffin said. "So, I thought I was doing the right thing by saying, 'OK, I'm going to avoid making this about me, you guys go play. But just so you know, you don't have to sit here and worry that your coach is leaving tomorrow after the game or something. I'm staying, I just haven't made it known publicly.' I told them thinking that's what obviously matters the most, and because we lost it wasn't done right. If we won, nobody would've cared."
Now reflecting on what occurred, Kiffin told ESPN that "he's come to terms with the fans' feelings toward the situation and believes the focus should be on what's most important -- that he actually stayed."
Alex Scarborough, the author of the article, also indirectly quoted Kiffin and said that Lane acknowledged in his past he would have "jumped at the chance to go to a more proven program" and pointed out that before Bryan Harsin, Auburn's four previous coaches had teams finish either No. 1 or No. 2 in the final AP poll.
There's been a constant online struggle within the Ole Miss fanbase about whether or not they are superior to Auburn... if Kiffin said what the article says, then that should put that argument to rest.
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