LSU AD thought Lane Kiffin was 'biggest (expletive).’ Now, he’s his coach
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LSU athletic director Verge Ausberry has monitored Lane Kiffin’s career since he was Pete Carroll’s offensive coordinator at Southern California.
Ausberry got a closer look at Kiffin after Ole Miss hired him ahead of the 2020 season.
His initial evaluation of him?
“When he first got to Ole Miss, we all thought he was the biggest a–hole when he’d walk into the room” at SEC meetings, Ausberry said. “One thing about it, when he spoke, he made sense.”
When LSU fired Ed Orgeron in 2021, Kiffin got some buzz for the job in media circles. Ausberry was LSU’s deputy AD at the time. Count him among those who didn’t think Kiffin was ready for the LSU job back then. The Tigers hired Brian Kelly. He lasted less than four seasons.
This time, Ausberry thinks Kiffin is ready.
“He has matured as a head coach,” he said.
More than that, LSU was ready for Kiffin.
“The timing was right (to hire Kiffin),” Ausberry said. “We needed a different type of energy around here.”
Ausberry and Kiffin vibed during the interview process. Kiffin’s plans and processes for success became apparent, and “he’d answer my question before it even came out of my mouth,” Ausberry said.
OK, but does Kiffin’s boss still consider him an a–hole?
“I won’t say he’s an a–hole,” Ausberry said, “but (certain coaches) have that edge.”
He sees that as a feature, not a bug.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lane Kiffin was ‘biggest a–hole’, LSU AD Verge Ausberry once thought
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