LSU Football's Lane Kiffin Reveals Important Coaching Lesson Nick Saban Taught Him

Kiffin and the Tigers continue navigating Spring Camp, old habits taught by Saban helping LSU's shot-caller.

Oct 2, 2021; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin talks with Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban before the start of an NCAA college football game at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Butch Dill-Imagn Images | Butch Dill-Imagn Images

Lane Kiffin and the LSU Tigers continue working through a chaotic offseason in Baton Rouge with Spring Camp nearing the finish line after a four-week practice schedule.

In what has become a pivotal stretch for Kiffin and the new-look LSU staff, the Tigers have started to gel down the stretch of spring ball with rotations emerging in the Bayou State.

But it hasn't happened overnight.

Kiffin and Co. have had to buckle in and get the redesigned roster in check after bringing in over 50 newcomers with LSU's shot-caller channeling his inner Nick Saban in order to evolve as a head coach.

It's no secret Kiffin and Saban have a strong relationship following the pair of polarizing coaches working together in Tuscaloosa with the Alabama Crimson Tide, but what did LSU's decision-maker learn from the iconic head coach?

Kiffin evaluated his "obsession with winning" and how it's translated into his own coaching career.

Courtesy of LSU Tigers Football.

Lane Kiffin's Take: Nick Saban's Influence

"I think more from him I find myself now with the obsession of winning - the obsession of every day of there's got to be something that we can do better. I think maybe now our coaches get a little annoyed with me, maybe like I did him, it's like where you're kind of never pleased. I find myself like that," Kiffin said on Tuesday.

"So that really what I feel taking from him is more than that, really the different position. But in that you look at everything. Could this guy play somewhere else? Could he do something else? There's got to be a way to play better than we did yesterday  and to practice better than we did yesterday. That's why I'm here all the time. Trying to figure out some way of something we can do better. 

"I challenge our guys to make sure we evaluate who they are, really, really well. Who is the player as they're coming out of high school? What is their mindset? How competitive are they? What's going to happen is most likely it's not going to go like they want in the first year. Then get into your analytics of, if you're going to pay them and then they're going to leave after year one, then what did you really get out of them?

"Obviously, character was always part of the evaluation. But I've moved it a lot higher now because of the ability to leave."

More LSU News: 

LSU Football Linebacker Breaks Down Decision to Follow Lane Kiffin From Ole Miss

LSU Football's No. 1 Transfer Addition Revealed as Lane Kiffin's Top Offensive Weapon

Lane Kiffin Reveals Definitive Statement on Will Wade Returning to LSU Tigers

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