LSU heads into its first game of the season, a tilt against Clemson University, which is rebuilding after a tough season. In the offseason, new head coach Lane Kiffin, backed by millions in recruiting dollars, hopes to return the Tigers to the forefront of college football.
However, as is the case with Kiffin, throughout his multiple stops, nothing ever seems clear-cut or strictly about football. Instead, a cloud of drama hangs over his programs, from USC to Tennessee to Ole Miss. Now, Baton Rouge sits at the epicenter of tumult. A recently published article offers a stern warning to LSU and other college programs regarding their head coaches from an icon in the sport.
Vanity Fair Article Traces Lane Kiffin’s Past Before Coaching LSU
Kiffin, who’s spent his entire adult life in and around the game, is no stranger to media attention, and he always embraced the limelight. However, an unnamed coach details what advice former Alabama head coach Nick Saban gave him. In a Vanity Fair excerpt from author John Talty’s book “Lane Being Lane: The Story of Lane Kiffin,” a portal into Kiffin’s Alabama tenure became clearer.
“You’ve got to keep Lane away from the girls that are in college,” Saban said, according to one former coach. “Just keep him away from the sorority girls. Make sure they’ve graduated college or are working a job.”
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For context, in January 2014, four months after USC fired him, Kiffin became Alabama’s offensive coordinator under Saban. The Vanity Fair article details that Kiffin, while still married, frequently went out and attempted to date women. Things devolved to a point, according to the article, that rumors flew across Tuscaloosa, even landing at the desk of Saban’s wife.
Kiffin’s wife and children never moved to Tuscaloosa during his Alabama tenure, a separation that predated the couple’s 2016 divorce. Tensions between the future LSU head coach and Saban grew. For example, Kiffin accepted the Florida Atlantic job while preparing for the biggest game of the year. Saban wasted no time, firing Kiffin and releasing him from his responsibilities when the new job became a distraction.
Fast forward to the last year of Kiffin’s coaching life. He coached Ole Miss to one of the best seasons in program history. Yet that didn’t seem like enough.
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LSU fired Brian Kelly, eating a sizable portion of his contract. As a result, the vacancy intrigued Kiffin. Additionally, the financial war chest will help the Tigers attack the NIL market, bringing elite athletes to campus. However, Kiffin’s departure from Oxford, like most of his other stops, led to hurt feelings.
Kiffin and LSU re-entered the news recently with the signing of former Cleveland Browns tight end Dae’Quan Wright. Due to a Louisiana judgment, LSU took advantage of the ruling. In the days that followed, major conferences, including the SEC, sought to close the loophole.
Yet, the conference appeared to backtrack, allowing Wright to suit up. Kiffin continues to stand at odds with convention; whether LSU’s talent can overshadow that remains to be seen.
