Lane Kiffin Reveals What Nick Saban Told Him Prior to Departing Ole Miss Football

In a move that ultimately sent shockwaves across the college football scene, Lane Kiffin made the decision to depart the Ole Miss Rebels on Nov. 30 for the LSU Tigers head coaching job.

The Ole Miss program had punched its ticket to the College Football Playoff after taking down the Mississippi State Bulldogs, but Kiffin went public with his choice less than 48 hours following the Egg Bowl victory.

The elite head coach had to rely on his mentors to help him along the way with college football icon Nick Saban's advice playing an integral role in his decision to make the move to LSU.

“I told the story at the press conference, but I was torn. And when I called Coach Saban and talked it through with him, he said: ‘You know, Lane, you’ll always regret if you don’t go to LSU — it’s the best job in America,’” Kiffin said on Tuesday while speaking at The Leadership Power Breakfast, according to WAFB Channel 9’s Jacques Doucet.

“And when he said that, it really made the decision for me. And as I’ve looked at it, it has pushed me, it has gotten me out of a comfort zone. That we were doing amazing things (at Ole Miss), but you come here and you feel the power of the place, and it drives you everyday to even go to another level.”

Ole Miss Rebels Football. — 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

During Kiffin's introductory press conference with LSU on Dec. 1, he reflected on the advice he's received from both Saban and Pete Carroll as the two mentors that paved his decision-making process.

“I felt like everybody I talked to outside of the state (of Mississippi) all basically said the same thing, okay. They all said, ‘Man, you are going to regret it if you don’t take the shot and you don’t go to LSU,’” Kiffin said during his Dec. 1st press conference, referring to Saban and ex-USC coach Pete Carroll.

“It’s the best job in America with the best resources, and to win it. And, it’s obviously been done here before by a number of people.”

Now, both the LSU Tigers and Ole Miss Rebels are set to begin new eras under new leadership following Kiffin's departure to Baton Rouge.

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