New LSU Head Coach Lane Kiffin Admits He Couldn’t Pass On ‘Best Job In America’

a, officials, board members, boosters, family and even linebacker Whit Weeks flooded a ballroom inside of Tiger Stadium to attend the introductory press conference of new LSU Tigers head coach Lane Kiffin on Monday afternoon.

It was a parade of new leadership for the Tigers. New university president Wade Rousse, who assumed his position on November 5, started off the festivities with a nice message to Kiffin and the attendees.

Rousse then passed the microphone to new LSU athletic director Verge Ausberry, who was one of the first people that Rousse gave a full-time job to.

Ausberry spoke a little bit about the process of the coaching search. He spoke about how Kiffin was always their top target, even after doing due diligence on other candidates.

Then, it came time for Kiffin to take the stage. Those boosters, board members, family members and staffers erupted in applause as the coach walked onto the stage.

It was a moment that matched the the buzz created around the hire.

Kiffin was clearly affected by the emotions of it all. The decision that, as he stated, he hopes to be career-defining. There was a noticeable shake to his voice at times in the beginning, but it did not take long for him to settle in and have everyone hanging on his next word.

There has been a lot made of his decision to leave the Ole Miss Rebels for the Tigers. He’s the first coach to leave a team preparing for the College Football Playoff for a different school.

Both Kiffin and Ausberry acknowledged that it’s not a desirable situation, but one dictated by the college football calendar. Any blame placed was placed directly on the system.

Kiffin talked endlessly about how difficult the decision was for him. He hates that he can’t coach the team the rest of the way and hates even more that he didn’t get to say goodbye to his players himself. He also acknowledged that he understands and respects the decision made by Rebels athletic director Keith Carter.

But if it was such a hard decision, why did Kiffin end up making it?

Simply put, he felt like this was too good of an opportunity to pass up.

“This place is different. That’s why we’re here,” said Kiffin.

Three of the last four people to coach at LSU won a national championship. The person Kiffin is replacing did not. One of the main goals set forth for the new coach is undoing the harm done by the last guy to hold the title.

The 50-year-old sought a lot of advice before taking this job. That advice he got is a big reasons he’s in the position he’s in right now.

He heavily implied that his mentors Pete Carrol and Nick Saban pushed him to accept this job. Saban won a National Championship in Baton Rouge, he knows the lay of the land and what it means to be the coach of the Tigers.

“Everyone outside of the state that I was in told me the same thing,” said Kiffin. Everyone warned him that it would it end up being one of the biggest regrets of his life if he didn’t accept and offer from “the best job in America.”

Kiffin said many times that he believes this to be the best job in college football.

Championships will be the expectation for him here. Any noise that he is facing right now will be 10-times louder if he leaves Baton Rouge without a ring.

The decision has been made. Now it’s time to see how it plays out.