LSU's coaching search should be limited to one person: Lane Kiffin
No need for LSU to embark on an exhaustive and extensive coaching search after firing Les Miles. All that’s required is a phone call.
Dial 205-348-3600 and ask for Lane Kiffin.
I found the number on the University of Alabama’s athletic department website, and the number is free of charge, as is this recommended scenario: So long Mad Hatter (a.k.a Miles), hello erstwhile Maddening Man (a.k.a. Kiffin).
The good news is, Kiffin’s no longer the punky coach he used to be, although it’s understandable that LSU fans might be concerned.
Upon firing Kiffin as head coach of the Oakland Raiders in 2008, late Raiders owner Al Davis said, “I think he conned me like he conned all you people ... I picked the wrong guy.’’
There were subtler versions of this when Kiffin bolted Tennessee in 2009 after a single season as the Volunteers head coach and in 2014 when he got fired after going 28-15 in four seasons at USC.
Then Kiffin went to the equivalent of boarding school — Alabama, where he has served as offensive coordinator under drill sergeant, er, coach Nick Saban.
On Sept. 10, after Alabama fumbled late in its 38-10 victory over Western Kentucky, Saban ripped into Kiffin on the sideline. The old Kiffin — like the 31-year-old version who infuriated Al Davis — might have rolled his eyes, muttered or jawed back. The new Kiffin, 41, he just took it, evidence of his newfound maturity.
But back to football. LSU is desperate for offense, and he would ensure that. With Kiffin taking over as offense coordinator at Alabama in 2014, he helped identify and mold two starting quarterbacks and the Crimson Tide won the 2015 national championship.
One reason Miles lost his job is he kept losing to Saban — five straight times over the past five years. Admit it or not, LSU fans would love to have Saban back on the sideline at Tiger Stadium.
The next best thing: Dial 205-348-3600 and ask for Lane Kiffin.