Kirby Smart Offers High Praise for LSU's 'Troll' Coach Lane Kiffin

From their time at Alabama working under the legendary Nick Saban, to now competing as SEC head coaches, Lane Kiffin and Kirby Smart have a long and often comical relationship.

Even though both coaches boast such starkly contrasting personalities, Kiffin is more talkative, lighthearted, and oftentimes comical in public. Smart, meanwhile, is more buttoned up, goes about his business, and rarely tries comedy.

Yet, despite Smart’s more serious approach, much like his former boss, Saban, Kiffin seemingly has a way of producing some comical moments from Smart. That continued Tuesday morning at SEC Media Days in Tampa, Florida, where Smart agreed with the sentiment that Kiffin is the “troll” of the often-discussed SEC head coaches group chat.

“I don't even know what troll means. People say that all the time. Can you define what a troll is for me, please, …” Smart said in response to a question about Kiffin. “Yep, that's him. He would say I look like a troll. So, I wanted to make sure it wasn't defined by appearance because certainly he is the Adonis of all college football coaches.”

Aside from what he produces on the field as a head coach and offensive play-caller, Kiffin has a reputation as a social media star. The LSU head coach, unlike many of his counterparts, uses social media for more than just recruiting purposes.

He’ll respond to media reports, even ones that aren’t about him or his program. He’ll also chastise other coaches, something that isn’t exclusive to just social media.

However, while Smart agreed with the characterization of Kiffin as a “troll,” he thinks of him as much more than just that.

“But he is very bright. He does an incredible job of evolving with college football. He was really good at that with us at Alabama,” Smart said. “You know, he made Coach Saban uncomfortable. Let's just say what it is. And he helped evolutionize that offense and bring it along and did some really good things in a day and age when people weren't doing them.”

After coaching against eachother three times in the last three years, with Smart taking two of the three games, he admitted something that others might not have.

“He's hard to play. I don't like having to play his teams because I know what he knows,” Smart said. “And I know how he thinks about defenses. And he knows what he's doing.”

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