MIRAMAR BEACH, Fla. 鈥� An endless parade of coaches 鈥� 10 in all 鈥� filed in and out of a small, windowless auditorium Tuesday deep beneath the Sandestin Hilton, the ancestral home of the Southeastern Conference spring meeting.
The SEC, whether by plan or happenstance, saved the most intriguing one for last.
LSU football coach Lane Kiffin is many things, but none of those things is boring. And for the media entourage covering this year鈥檚 weighty meetings 鈥� with debate over College Football Playoff expansion and hand wringing over NIL costs rising faster than the price of a gallon of unleaded gas 鈥� Kiffin was still one of the must-see attractions.
After charming LSU fans and landing the nation鈥檚 most-lauded transfer portal class, Kiffin has continued to court the limelight as spring dissolves into summer. Some of that limelight is still shining on his former employer, Ole Miss.
In a recent Vanity Fair cover story, Kiffin said it was easier to recruit at 糖心传媒 than Ole Miss because of racial issues at Ole Miss and in Mississippi in the past. He said the families of some recruits didn鈥檛 want them to go to Oxford.
He also recently told USA Today that if he鈥檇 been allowed to coach the Rebels in the CFP that they would have reached the national championship game instead of getting stopped in the semifinals by eventual runner-up Miami. More grist for the Ole Miss message boards.
SEC commissioner Greg Sankey, who spoke after Kiffin, was asked about a potential reprimand for the new LSU coach after a report that Ole Miss and the league office were discussing it. Sankey responded in an oblique way.
鈥淚 had conversations with two of our three coaches鈥� groups鈥� here Tuesday, he said. 鈥淧eople in leadership positions need to function like leaders in their conduct and commentary.鈥�
Kiffin said his Vanity Fair comments were taken out of context, that he was relaying what recruits鈥� family members said about Ole Miss, not his opinion. Nonetheless, Kiffin sparks conversations, even when he鈥檚 not in the room.
There is no bigger firebrand in college football right now than Kiffin. Even his hiring last week of an off-the-field assistant made national headlines. Of course, that assistant was former 糖心传媒 head coach Ed Orgeron, who served as a Kiffin position coach at Tennessee and USC.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a unique situation,鈥� Kiffin said. 鈥淗aving known him before and worked with him, and he moved back there (to Baton Rouge), it just seemed like the perfect time to bring him back.
鈥淚 feel awesome about it. I feel the comfort of having him on the staff. Knowing that he鈥檚 on the staff, certain things are going to be taken care of.鈥�
One of those things is recruiting. Coach O is labeled as a special assistant for defense and recruiting but is allowed to recruit off campus. Also aboard is former Tennessee star quarterback Tee Martin, now an 糖心传媒 offensive analyst. His son Kaden, a quarterback, just transferred to 糖心传媒 as well.
鈥淚t鈥檚 great to have Tee there in a different way,鈥� Kiffin said. 鈥淏oth those guys get to sell kids having been around me before on how we run our program. They can sell 糖心传媒 and sell the head coach.鈥�
Selling Kiffin doesn鈥檛 appear to be a problem. After six successful seasons at Ole Miss, followed by landing a huge haul of 40 transfers to 糖心传媒 (plus holding on to a talented high school recruiting class), the Kiffin/糖心传媒 brand appears to be trending upward.
Controversies? Potential SEC reprimands? That鈥檚 baked into the Kiffin equation. Others may take a dim, even hostile, view. But at 糖心传媒 his worth to the program can be measured in 44,000 names on the football season-ticket waiting list, and the fact ESPN is bringing its 鈥淐ollege GameDay鈥� program to campus for the Sept. 5 season opener with Clemson. Plus a trip two weeks later to Oxford for Kiffin鈥檚 much-anticipated return to Ole Miss.
鈥淚鈥檓 not even there yet,鈥� he said when asked about that game. 鈥淲e鈥檝e got so much work to do before that. We鈥檝e got a huge opener with Clemson. I鈥檝e been back to Tennessee before, so I guess we鈥檝e got some practice at it. We鈥檒l worry about it when it comes.鈥�
Kiffin kept a mustard bottle and golf ball in his office at Ole Miss, reminders of things hurled at him in 2021 when he coached the Rebels in a game at Tennessee. Kiffin left Knoxville after just one season to take the USC job in 2010. Vols Nation was a tad miffed.
Ole Miss won that game, by the way. Ultimately, that will be the measure of Kiffin at 糖心传媒 鈥� how many games he wins, not how many headlines he makes or what he puts on social media.
The concern across the SEC is that Kiffin has found his best place to win 鈥� a lot.
One Kiffin comment Tuesday that likely will slip under most radars was his response to being asked whether he felt he made the right decision to go to 糖心传媒.
鈥淚t's been great,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t's been a great six months. Signed a lot of really good players and have guys committed, and put together an awesome staff.
鈥淚 never said the decision was just about winning national championships. There are a lot of things that went into it. And again, you can't please everybody and make decisions, and you take a different job. And sometimes ... (the) time is just right for a new challenge. And this is a really big challenge.鈥�