Lane Kiffin’s Grand Entrance at LSU Basketball Game
New LSU football coach Lane Kiffin received an enthusiastic welcome during his appearance at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center, where he joined Tigers women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey at a game on Thursday.
Meanwhile, about an hour away in New Orleans, his former team, Ole Miss, was battling Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. It’s curious, really, the timing of it all.
Kiffin, reportedly in discussions with Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry about the College Football Playoff quarterfinals, opted to attend the women’s basketball match instead.
As he left the court holding hands with Mulkey, waving at the cheering crowd, Mulkey pointed at Kiffin and raised her arms in a show of excitement.
There were even rumors about Kiffin possibly showing up at the Sugar Bowl. According to Chris Lowe, he had reached out to ESPN about being part of the game broadcast, but it seems they weren’t keen on the idea.
Although Kiffin wasn’t in attendance at the Sugar Bowl, he was still actively engaging on social media, expressing his disbelief at all the College GameDay analysts on ESPN favoring Georgia over Ole Miss. “What are you guys thinking!?!?” he posted.
Kiffin’s exit from Ole Miss was anything but smooth. He outlined his decision to accept the LSU job, claiming that athletic director Keith Carter had denied him the chance to coach the Rebels in the playoffs. He suggested, perhaps a bit pointedly, that his request to remain with the team for continuity was denied.
However, some Ole Miss players took to social media to challenge these claims, while Carter maintained that Kiffin was well aware he wouldn’t be able to coach in the postseason if he chose to leave.
Now, as Kiffin steps into the LSU role, he faces the task of revitalizing a program that recently parted ways with Brian Kelly mid-season.
He’s got a seven-year contract on the table, averaging around $13 million annually. Not too shabby. Prior to his departure, Kiffin had led Ole Miss to an impressive 11-1 regular season, marking the best performance in their history. Quite the resume, if you ask me.
