LSU athletic director Scott Woodward was brought to Baton Rouge for one reason -- make the right hires needed to lead the LSU program through the next decade.
His lore of Woodward's ability to make transformative hires has been his calling card for years. It has only grown during his brief return to the Pelican State with the hires of Hall of Fame coach Kim Mulkey to lead the women's basketball team and poached Pac-12 Coach of the Year Jay Johnson from the Arizona baseball program.
But it is this hire that he be most remembered for, at least around these parts, so the pressure is building in Baton Rouge.
In this series, TigerDetails will explore the options for LSU under a traditional Rivals headline "Making the Case." In the first part of the series, site publisher Jimmy Smith takes a dive into Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin's career.
The Resume:
Make no mistake about it folks -- LSU's celebrated 2019 season was led by a prolific offense and there may not be a better play caller in the college game right now than Lane Kiffin. In just his second season at Ole Miss, Kiffin has turned the Rebels' offense into one of the more prolific units in college football, and he has done so with what is slightly above average talent from a NFL projections standpoint, after inheriting a dismal roster that was shredded by NCAA sanctions and abysmal play under his predecessor Matt Luke.
Kiffin has the Rebels in the AP Top 10 with his only loss on the year coming by way of the team from Tuscaloosa that knows a thing or three about winning. Prior to his current stop at Ole Miss, Kiffin had a slew of head coaching gigs ranging from his stint as the Oakland Raiders head man, Tennessee, USC and FAU. There's a lot of head coaching experience on the resume, albeit not all positive.
Raiders: It was evident early in his tenure as the Raiders head coach that the then 31-year old Kiffin may not be ready for that level of responsibility. His clash with Raiders' ownership became public, resulting in termination after just 20 games (5-15) as the head coach in 2008. Kiffin's tenure is often looked at as a negative, but heading an NFL team is nothing to balk at.
Volunteers: Kiffin then found himself at the University of Tennessee as the youngest head coach in Division I football (33) for one year before bailing on the Volunteers to become the head coach at USC. While in Knoxville, Kiffin led the Vols to a mediocre 7-6 record, including a blowout loss to Virginia Tech in the Chick-fil-A Bowl. The 7-6 mark was an improvement over the previous 5-7 season under Phil Fulmer.
Kiffin's decision to leave Tennessee was followed by criticism, and even campus riots. The Volunteers fanbase and many national media members questioned his ability to provide stability after coaching three different teams in three years, but nobody could deny that the USC job was a better gig. Perhaps he will view the LSU position in a similar fashion.
USC: In only his fifth month on the job as the Trojans head coach, the university was sanctioned by the NCAA following a four-year investigation into pay-for-play schemes involving former Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush. The sanctions included reduced scholarships and post season bans, among other less impactful restrictions. Nonetheless, Kiffin was instantly faced with an uphill drive in a front wheel drive vehicle with flat tires.
In his first season at USC, Kiffin led the Trojans to an 8-5 record. But Kiffin had more to fight than the post season ban and probation handed down by the NCAA; the governing body decided to allow players to transfer, along with recruits, practically shredding the Trojans roster before Kiffin could call a play. Despite the turmoil in LA, the Trojans were able to field a winning team.
Despite the barrage of issues chipping away at the stability and effectiveness of the Trojans' football program, Kiffin was able to elevate the team to a 10-2 record in his second season at the helm. The Trojans ended up with two receivers eclipsing the 1,000 yard mark during the season (Marquise Lee, Robert Woods). The Trojans were excluded from post season play and finished the season as the No. 6 team in the final AP poll.
Kiffin was fired in 2013 following a 7-6 record in 2012 and a 0-2 start in 2013. Kiffin's tenure at USC was a mixed bag of results, but much of the difficulties could be attributed to the insurmountable amount of issues surrounding the program at that time. Bill Walsh would have likely found difficulty in sustaining success at that time. Kiffin left USC with a 25-15 record.
Alabama OC: Nick Saban wasted little time in replacing Doug Nussmeier with Kiffin as the Crimson Tide offensive coordinator in January of 2014. Kiffin turned Alabama into an offensive juggernaut with a slew of different looks and schemes over the next three seasons prior to taking the head coaching job at Florida Atlantic. It was during this stint at Alabama that the football world was able to recognize Kiffin's offensive adaptability and prowess as a play caller. It was also the first time we got to watch him deal with a loaded deck.
FAU: Kiffin made an immediate impact in his first season taking over a 3-9 FAU program by going 11-3, including a 50-3 bowl victory over Akron and a C-USA Conference championship. Kiffin and FAU agreed to an extension to keep him in Boca Raton through 2027. It was the Owls first season over .500% since 2008 and the first time they had finished the season with double-digit victories as a Division I member. The Owls won another conference championship in 2019 on its way to a 10-3 overall record. This would be Kiffin's last season at FAU, with Ole Miss calling up the long time SEC coach to replace Matt Luke. His stop at FAU showed that he has the ability to win big and do it quickly.
Ole Miss: Kiffin took over a floundering Rebels program that was coming off a 4-8 season and was coming off of NCAA sanctions for recruiting violations under Hugh Freeze. Kiffin's Rebels finished the Covid shortened 2020 season with a 6-5 overall record after a breakout season for quarterback Matt Corral. 2021 is yet another positive step for the Ole Miss program as Kiffin has the team ranked No.10 nationally after whipping LSU in Oxford last weekend. Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral is one of the favorites to win the Heisman Trophy this fall and the Rebels offense is averaging over 541 yards per game--tops in the conference.
This is Kiffin's second consecutive stop that has resulted in a quick turnaround for the football program, which has elevated his stock to the highest level he has experienced during his coaching career. Kiffin's second season at USC could also shine as an example of a coach that is capable of getting results quickly.
The Fit:
Kiffin's persona and confidence would be welcomed by much of the LSU faithful, whereas some other fanbases may be a bit more reluctant to welcome him into their programs. One would be hard pressed to find a coach in the school's history that possesses the mind and abilities of Kiffin as an offensive coach and play-caller. LSU athletic director Scott Woodward is known for splash hires and Kiffin would certainly be that at this stage of his career.
Kiffin has a long standing relationship with LSU general manager Austin Thomas, who is going to play a role in this coaching search, according to sources. Thomas worked with Kiffin at Tennessee before following him to USC. That relationship could go a long way in easing Kiffin into his new role, as well as providing a sense of comfort in rolling the dice on a coach with as checkered a past as Kiffin, although the "New Kiffin" has certainly behaved better of late -- at least publicly.
Kiffin is a prudent talent evaluator that can fight against the best in the business on the recruiting trail. His name carries a lot of weight amongst recruits, with some current targets expressing some desire for him to be the next head man at LSU. Schools like LSU sells itself, but having a head coach that has the resume, name recognition and ability of Kiffin can elevate the program to new heights.
Kiffin has also shown a propensity to address team needs through the transfer portal and junior college routes, which LSU could be in desperate need of with the roster being depleted at key positions like linebacker and on the offensive line.
The Concerns:
LSU needs stability. LSU needs a coach that will provide stability along with structure and discipline. These aren't exactly Kiffin's strong suits as he routinely changes jobs in his search for the perfect fit. There have been snafus when Kiffin has said a recruits name publicly which resulted in the NCAA putting Kiffin in his crosshairs. Kiffin's departure from Tennessee didn't go well and his firing by the Raiders was preceded by a public feud with ownership. The past still haunts Kiffin a bit as many viewed it as a pattern that could make him a liability of sorts for his employer.
Kiffin's personal life crept into the limelight in 2016 following rumors of infidelity that ultimately led to a divorce from his wife Layla. There were numerous rumors regarding Kiffin's activities, including rumors regarding his use of the alias Joey Freshwater. In true Kiffin form, he fueled the fire with a tweet of a fan wearing a Joey Freshwater No. 69 jersey, Kiffin also did an interview on Outkick the Coverage with Clay Travis where he stated ""No, I have not. I've used Jimmy Chestnut but not Joey Freshwater." Typical Kiffin trolling or not, we may never know.
Look, Kiffin is a bit wild and nobody would question that. His social media troll game is strong, he isn't afraid to say something that could get him in trouble and his personal life resembles that of a rock star more than a SEC coach. This is likely going to concern LSU, who is still reeling from the controversies surrounding its previous coach Les Miles and its current coach Ed Orgeron--the soon to be replaced Ed Orgeron. Would Scott Woodward roll the dice with Kiffin?
There's certainly some risk-reward attached to the dynamic play-caller. Now let's see if Woodward rolls the dice.
Making the Case:
LSU has a long history of success and they have done so without a lot of masterminds at the head coaching position. Nick Saban is one, but who else deserves to be on the list? The thought of what Lane Kiffin could do with the LSU talent pool is scary. Yes, he has bounced around a bit, some by his own choosing, and fired from other posts by people with more power than him, but he is a proven coach that quite honestly hasn't had a great gig yet. Nothing against Ole Miss, FAU, USC or Tennessee, but none of those schools were a premier program when Kiffin took over. One could make a case that USC was that when he entered the fray, but that was stripped from the program once sanctions hit before he could even call a play. He still found success before the floor crumbled beneath him, though. This LSU job would be the best opportunity of Kiffin's career.
Kiffin is one of the college game's best play callers and has proven to be a very strong recruiter. He has an expansive coaching tree that would enable him to build a really strong staff and the passing game is primed to take off next season. Unless Ole Miss runs the table from here, their postseason may be limited to a single bowl game. And don't think for a second that LSU would have to wait until after that bowl game before naming Kiffin their head coach. With Scott HollyWoodward at the helm and Lane Kiffin's ability to make a move at a moments notice, it is certainly possible.
