Lane Kiffin responded defiantly to disappointed Ole Miss supporters, who showed their displeasure by jeering as he departed Oxford for Baton Rouge on Sunday.
The ex-Rebels coach was seen boarding a flight in Mississippi shortly after securing a remarkable $90 million contract to lead rival team Louisiana State.
Kiffin, 50, was observed stepping out of a chauffeured SUV and walking across the airport tarmac amid a chorus of boos and harsh words from hundreds of his former followers.
While Kiffin hurried to his plane, he stopped for an interview with ESPN, where he insisted that Ole Miss fans should ‘appreciate’ what he did for the college program.
Addressing the situation, he remarked, “I understand there’s a lot of emotion right now.”
He added, “I hope that once emotions calm, there will be recognition of what we accomplished here—arguably the best era in the school’s history.”
Lane Kiffin has fired back at angry Ole Miss fans in the wake of his decision to join rivals LSU
Kiffin, 50, stopped for an interview with ESPN before boarding a plane on Sunday afternoon
He continued: ‘I’m so appreciative to the people of Oxford and the relationships that I’ve developed here’.
Kiffin had been an extremely coveted option by many in-need programs on the coaching carousel and the Tigers had made no secret of their desire to poach him.
Fans were left on tenterhooks over Saturday night, as Kiffin met with athletic director Keith Carter and chancellor Glenn Boyce at the latter’s home to discuss his future.
It had remained a mystery over what was the deciding factor for Kiffin but, during his interview, he revealed that advice from legendary coaches helped persuade him.
Further explaining his decision, Kiffin said: ‘It was really hard. My heart was here, but I talked to some mentors, coach [Pete] Carroll and coach [Nick] Saban.
‘Coach Carroll said, “Your dad would tell you to go man. Take the shot. You can accomplish a lot here.”‘
Speaking on the discussions with Carter and Boyce, Kiffin added: ‘This was a very challenging, difficult day.
‘We went through a lot last night with Keith Carter trying to figure out a way to make this playoff run work and be able to coach the team, and at the end of the day that’s his decision – and I totally respect that. I understand that decision.
Kiffin (left) was seen leaving a chauffeured SUV and walking across the tarmac to his waiting plane as hundreds of his former supporters offered a chorus of boos and expletives
Several Ole Miss fans showed up to wish Lane Kiffin a difficult future at Louisiana State
‘So I just totally wish the team the best of luck, wish that I was coaching them, but understand that it was a very challenging position for him and the chancellor to be in, and I totally respect that.
‘Just really hope they play really well and go win the national championship’.
Ole Miss offensive coordinator Charlie Weiss Jr. was spotted by fans boarding the same aircraft, presumably to join the Tigers alongside Kiffin.
‘You f***ing b*****d, Charlie,’ one irate fan yelled at the outgoing offensive coordinator, who is the son and namesake of the former Notre Dame head coach.
Kiffin officially confirmed his decision to leave Ole Miss for the Tigers early on Sunday, describing it as a ‘difficult’ one in an emotional statement on social media.
‘After a lot of prayer and time spent with family, I made the difficult decision to accept the head coaching position at LSU,’ Kiffin said in the statement.
Kiffin had been in the midst of his sixth season with the Rebels, guiding them to a 55-19 record during that time. Ole Miss also finished finished in the top 15 three times, and had double-digit wins in four of his seasons.
And Kiffin confirmed the countless reports claiming that he had wanted to stay in Mississippi to see out his final season – something which the Ole Miss hierarchy denied him.
Kiffin insisted that, once the dust settles, fans will ‘appreciate’ what he did for the program
The 50-year-old confirmed his decision via a statement on social media on Sunday afternoon
‘I was hoping to complete a historic six season run with this year’s team by leading Ole Miss through the playoffs, capitalizing on the team’s incredible success and their commitment to finish strong, and investing everything into a playoff run with guardrails in place to protect the program in any areas of concern,’ he explained.
‘My request to do so was denied by Keith Carter despite the team also asking him to allow me to keep coaching them so they could better maintain their high level of performance. Unfortunately, that means Friday’s Egg Bowl was my last game coaching the Rebels,’ he continued, appearing to take a swipe at his former employers.
‘While I am looking forward to a new start with a unique opportunity at LSU, I will forever cherish the incredible six years I spent at Ole Miss and will be rooting hard for the team to complete their mission and bring a championship to Oxford.’
Ole Miss confirmed that defensive coordinator Pete Golding had been promoted to head coach following Kiffin’s departure.
The dramatic developments over the weekend came as a shock to many given that, as recently as Ole Miss’s Friday game, Kiffin admitted that his mind still wasn’t set.
After guiding the Rebels to a 38-19 win over Mississippi State in his final game in charge, Kiffin claimed he is yet to make a decision on his future.
‘No, I haven’t (made up my mind),’ he told ESPN’s McGregor on the broadcast. ‘I’ve got a lot of praying to do to figure that out tomorrow, but right now, I’m just going to go enjoy these players.
‘I told them last night, you’re going to win your 11th game, and all I want to do is experience joy watching you, and that’s what I’m about to do.’
