Lane Kiffin Shares Honest Tennessee Football Statement Following LSU Decision

Lane Kiffin details his LSU Tigers decision and the Tennessee Volunteers.

Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin walks off the field during a college football game between Mississippi State and Ole Miss at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Miss., on Friday, Nov. 28, 2025. The Egg Bowl game marks the 122nd meeting between the two teams. | Ayrton Breckenridge/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

A former Tennessee Vols head football coach was in the news for most of this month, as the former coach for the Vols has been challenged with being offered a head football coaching gig for multiple teams. He was with the Ole Miss Rebels, but he accepted another job.

Lane Kiffin is the coach, and he is now on his way to the Boot, as he has accepted the LSU head coaching job. This didn't shock many people, as some fans like to point out that Kiffin's opportunity to join the Tigers is nearly unrefusable. The initial report indicated that his contract could be worth around $90,000,000.

While Ole Miss fans were unhappy about Kiffin leaving, the new LSU head coach had the chance to explain his side of things in a must-watch interview with Marty Smith. In this interview, he discussed many different things. One of the things that was surprisingly brought up by Kiffin is his time at Tennessee, which has often been compared.

However, that situation is much different, as he only spent one season at Tennessee, which is pretty rare for a head coach to do. You don't see that very often. Here is what Kiffin said in his quote about what led to his LSU decision, which also led to the Vols being mentioned. Take a look.

Kiffin Speaks on His Decision + The Tennessee Volunteers

"Yeah, just, you know, there was something about it, it was really hard. My heart was here, but I talked to some mentors. Coach Carroll, Coach Saban, especially when Coach Carroll said, 'your dad would tell you to go take your shot. Take your shot, you know you've accomplished a lot here .' You know, I have always hated how we only gave one year to Tennessee and left. I really hated that feeling of that, even thought it was an exciting year, but I think we gave a lot to this program and this city, you know, some of the most historic wins this stadium has ever had. This is the best regular season in the history of this school, and I feel proud of that part. But it just became time. I talked to god, and he told me that it is time to take a new step. It's a new chapter."

The Vols will play LSU next season, which will bring Lane Kiffin back into Neyland Stadium.

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