What Did Lane Kiffin Say After Signing LSU Contract? Top Quotes After Ole Miss Exit

Lane Kiffin held his introductory press conference at LSU on Monday, telling reporters that Baton Rouge "is different and that's why we're here."

He also called the LSU gig the best in college football and said the program is "built for championships," adding that his time in Oxford with Ole Miss was "the best six years of his life."

He also said he "tried everything possible to try to coach [Ole Miss] through the College Football Playoff."

Kiffin will be making $13 million a season at LSU, making him the second-highest paid coach in the sport behind only Georgia's Kirby Smart, though he claimed his contract wasn't a major factor in the decision.

"I'm never going to make a decision on money," he told reporters. "I don't know what my contract is here. I told [agent] Jimmy Sexton, don't tell me the numbers for me. Tell me the numbers in the plan for the players."

And Kiffin noted that a number of people recommended he take the LSU job, including Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll, while hinting that former LSU and Alabama head coach Nick Saban was also among them.

As for LSU's bowl game, Kiffin said that interim head coach and running backs coach Frank Wilson would lead the team.

The 50-year-old spent six seasons at Ole Miss, finishing with a record of 55-19 while leading the Rebels to an expected College Football Playoff berth this season. Previous head-coaching stops included the Oakland Raiders (2007-08), Tennessee (2009), USC (2010-13) and Florida Atlantic (2017-19). He also served as Alabama's offensive coordinator for three seasons (2014-16).

The last few weeks have turned into quite the spectacle, with multiple schools courting Kiffin while Ole Miss fought to keep itself in the running for a bowl game. The response to Kiffin's departure was one of pure animosity in Oxford.

But the response in Baton Rouge has equaled that, albeit in excitement.

Kiffin said he called friend and former LSU head coach Ed Orgeron after driving past Tiger Stadium.

"I said, 'This place makes me want to talk like you right now. ... Go Tigahs.'"