Lane Kiffin Introduced as LSU’s Head Coach

The Lane Train officially pulled into station today.

Lane Kiffin was officially introduced as the head coach of the LSU Football program Monday afternoon at the South Stadium Club at Tiger Stadium. After opening remarks from new LSU president Wade Rousse and new Athletics Director Verge Ausberry, Kiffin spoke for about 40 minutes.

Kiffin started by thanking his family, the powers that be at LSU: Rousse, Ausberry, and Board of Supervisors chair Scott Ballard among others. Kiffin mentioned that he spoke with Louisiana governor Jeff Landry along with former players and other “powerful” alumni.

“I can sum it up by saying this: this place is different,” Kiffin said. Having watched this place for a long time, having been on the other sidelines in this stadium, this place is different, and that’s why we’re here. We have a lot of work to do with that, but I’m very grateful for the opportunity to lead one of the elite programs in all of sports.”

Lane, naturally, talked about the messiness that was his exit from Ole Miss. Perhaps you heard about it?

“Leaving Ole Miss was extremely difficult,” Kiffin said. “Extremely difficult decision. In that, we tried every single thing possible to continue to coach the team through the playoffs and to continue to coach the players. In the end that was their decision, and we totally respect that and appreciate the time and energy that we tried to figure out a plan to do the best thing at the time for those players.

“The last six years of my life have been the best six years of my life, and I owe that to all the players, all the assistant coaches and the people of Oxford. It was amazing. It will forever be a major part of my story. I’m so grateful for those relationships and all of those people that I got to meet, but the opportunity at LSU, as I said before, is just different.”

Kiffin said he was sold on the LSU job by “someone very close to me” (cough Nick Saban cough) and that mystery someone said that LSU is “the best job in football.” There was also a great moment where Kiffin said as he went by Tiger Stadium he called Ed Orgeron today and said that he couldn’t help but want to talk like Coach O

“This place is built for championships with championship expectations,” Kiffin said. “We understand that, but as an elite competitor, that’s exactly what you want, and that’s why we’re here.”

Kiffin said that his plan is for LSU is to make it the “No. 1 destination for elite players in all of America” and that starts with Louisiana.

“I know that we have, with the passion of LSU family and our LSU players, that we have everything to bring championship football back to LSU,” Kiffin said. “It’s time for LSU to take its place back as the best program in college football, and that’s what we’re here to do.”