Lane Kiffin has regrets over handling of messy Ole Miss divorce

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Lane Kiffin found himself at the center of the biggest story in college football last fall.

Amid a run to the College Football Playoff for Ole Miss, Kiffin was being pursued for openings at both LSU and Florida. He ultimately took the Tigers job following the Egg Bowl, but that was not the end of the story.

Kiffin clashed with athletics director Keith Carter over his desire to coach the Rebels in the CFP, which Carter refused. That sparked a two-day fight, which Kiffin says he now regrets.

"Yeah, I do," Kiffin said at SEC Media Days on Thursday, per ESPN. "But I think that's a good thing that I look at life that way now, instead of saying, 'No, I don't. I was right.' I look at things always now, like, how could I have done them better? But it's also easier when you're further removed. There's no emotion involved.

"I wish I would have gone in when I met with Keith and said, 'I've made the decision to go. I wish I would have just said, 'Hey, I'd like to coach the team,' and he'd say, 'No.' And I'd say, 'Hey, OK, I appreciate it.' (I wish I'd) move on (and) never even discussed it again."

Kiffin compared what he was asking of Carter to trying to leave a marriage while staying in the house for a few more weeks.

"…that's really like you're in a marriage," Kiffin said. "You're leaving the marriage that she thought was great. It was great for six years, and you're leaving it in order to go to another woman who she despises.

"Oh, but let me stay in the house for a couple more weeks with the kids, and I might bring some of the kids with me. You're OK with it, right? And then I'm going to leave. And then it's going to be like, 'I understand.' There was no way to do what I was trying to do."

The relationship between Kiffin and Ole Miss soured further when he initially refused to allow assistants who had joined him at LSU to coach the Rebels in the CFP. He eventually relented, though a few of those assistants did ultimately depart Ole Miss before the semifinal loss to Miami.

Kiffin at least partially defended his actions on the matter, saying that Ole Miss should be grateful he allowed those coaches to return and lead it to an upset win over Georgia.

"Yeah, there's another way," Kiffin said. "I could have let none of them go. I don't know. Ask people how that Georgia game would have gone. So, I think they should be really appreciative, but I also understand that everybody looks at things from where they're at."

The bad blood between Kiffin and his former school likely won't go away any time soon, but it appears he wishes he could have handled certain aspects of the messy divorce differently.

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This article originally appeared on College Sports Wire: Lane Kiffin has regrets over handling of messy Ole Miss divorce

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