Lane Kiffin hints at Nick Saban’s advice after LSU, Ole Miss coaching fiasco

Lane Kiffin was formally introduced as LSU’s head coach on Monday, marking a high-payroll, high-pressure hire that ended his six-year run at Ole Miss and one of college football’s most public coaching sagas.

LSU announced a multi-year deal reported at $91 million over seven years, with Kiffin set to earn around $13 million per year.

Kiffin will leave a 55-19 record in Oxford and arrive in Baton Rouge with immediate expectations to restore national title contention.

At Monday’s introductory press conference, Kiffin framed the move as an opportunity he couldn't pass up: "Everybody I talked to outside the state … said you were going to regret it if you don’t take the shot," he said.

More notably, however, he referenced Nick Saban while explaining his decision, telling reporters, "Coach Saban kinda coached at another place in this conference, so I can’t really say exactly what he said. But I'll say I think the world of coach Saban and I respect him."

Many are interpreting that line as evidence Saban urged him to take the LSU job.

Lane Kiffin essentially says that Nick Saban told him to take the LSU job

“Coach Saban kinda coached at another place in this conference, so I can’t really say exactly what he said..”

Probably smart, given Saban is on Alabama payroll pic.twitter.com/V4nz4MBSyN
— Trey Wallace (@TreyWallace_) December 1, 2025

Kiffin confirmed his departure Sunday and asked to stay on through Ole Miss’s College Football Playoff bid, a request the school denied.

The Rebels responded by promoting defensive coordinator Pete Golding to lead the team in the postseason, while LSU moved quickly to present Kiffin to a fervent Baton Rouge audience.

LSU president Wade Rousse, left, LSU new head coach Lane Kiffin and LSU athletic director Verge Ausberry. — Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU president Wade Rousse, left, LSU new head coach Lane Kiffin and LSU athletic director Verge Ausberry stand together at South Stadium Club at Tiger Stadium. | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

For somebody who spent three seasons on Saban’s Alabama staff, even a subtle endorsement from Saban, a towering figure in the SEC and former LSU coach, carries weight.

Kiffin revived his career under Saban as Alabama’s offensive coordinator (2014-16), yet left under strained circumstances.

He left in December 2016 to take the Florida Atlantic head-coaching job, and planned to stay through Alabama's postseason run, but was relieved of offensive coordinator duties before the national title game.

While Saban is considered a mentor to Kiffin, the abrupt timing and apparent friction surrounding his exit at Alabama made it unusually controversial.

Looking ahead for the Tigers, the move to Kiffin immediately resets championship expectations for a program that hasn't won a national title since 2019.

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