Lane Kiffin confirms LSU football related rumor from 2016

Current Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin almost ended up in Baton Rouge in 2016.

For the last several years, there have been rumors/rumblings that Lane Kiffin was set to become Ed Orgeron’s offensive coordinator at LSU in 2016.

But there had never been any confirmation of that rumor.

Until this week.

Kiffin, in an interview with Sports Illustrated’s Ross Dellenger, said he had an agreement with then LSU athletic director Joe Alleva that he would become the Tigers’ offensive coordinator on two conditions.

If Coach O was promoted to the full time head coach and as long as Kiffin didn’t receive an opportunity to become a head coach.

Of course, it wasn’t long after making that promise that Kiffin, who was serving as Alabama’s offensive coordinator at the time, agreed to become the head coach at Florida Atlantic. After being hired by FAU, Kiffin famously coached Alabama’s offense in the first game of the College Football Playoff, and then was “fired” by Nick Saban before the championship game against Clemson (which Alabama lost).

(Lane Kiffin in Baton Rouge would’ve been fun.)

This wasn’t the first time, by the way, that Kiffin almost took a job as Orgeron’s offensive coordinator.

Coach O tried to bring Kiffin with him to Oxford in late 2004 when he took over as the Rebels’ head coach. Kiffin was serving as USC’s wide receivers coach at the time. He told Sports Illustrated that his wife (now ex-wife) didn’t want to move from Los Angeles to Oxford. Kiffin ended up staying at USC and was promoted to passing game coordinator/offensive coordinator.

Kiffin and Orgeron eventually worked together again at Tennessee and USC.

It’s funny how things work out, though. Kiffin and Orgeron have remained good friends over the years and now they’ll get to face each other on a yearly basis in the SEC West.