ESPN’s Marty Smith followed Lane Kiffin closely throughout the weekend and caught him for a quick interview before Kiffin boarded a private jet to officially begin his new job as LSU’s head coach. Kiffin said he still wanted to coach Ole Miss in the College Football Playoff, but athletic director Keith Carter made the last call not to let him.

Kiffin explained that leaving Ole Miss wasn’t easy at all. He talked about how much the last six years meant to him and hoped fans would remember the success they built together.

“This has been a really special place,” Kiffin told Smith. “I hope when they settle down that there’s an appreciation about what we were able to do here… having the best run that’s ever been done in the history of the school.”

Lane Kiffin did wonders at Mississippi in just six years. He led them to an amazing 55-19 record and made them a team that actually mattered on the national scene. This includes four trips to bowl games, a big New Year’s Six win, and an incredible 11-1 season this season.

Lane also revealed that he wasn’t invited to the important Sunday meeting between Carter and the school’s chancellor. Carter asked him not to attend, and while Kiffin didn’t fully agree with that, he respected the choice.

“I totally respect Keith’s decision… He asked me not to come to the meeting, which I totally understand,” Kiffin said. He added that Carter “has to live here,” meaning Carter had to do what was best for the school, even if national voices thought Kiffin should still coach the playoff game.

Kiffin then mentioned how much he cared about his players and really wished he could have coached them in their upcoming College Football Playoff game, but the timing just didn’t work out.

Lane Kiffin reaching out to his old bosses to decide his future

To figure out this major life choice, Kiffin reached out to two of his old bosses and mentors: Nick Saban and Pete Carroll. The former Rebels HC confessed he still felt bad about how quickly he left Tennessee years ago and didn’t want to repeat that mistake. He needed solid advice from people who understood the college football world inside and out to make sure he was doing the right thing for his career and his family.

He explained that some of their advice pushed him toward LSU.

“My heart was here (Oxford), but I talked to some mentors,” he said. However, it was Pete Carroll’s words that made the biggest impact and helped him decide. “Your Dad would tell you to go. Take the shot. You’ve accomplished a lot here.’”

In the end, Kiffin said it simply became the right moment for change. “It just became time,” he said. After talking with his mentors, his family, and even praying about the decision, he felt it was the right step. “God told me it’s time to take a new step. It’s a new chapter.” Now, Kiffin heads to LSU to start that next chapter, while Ole Miss moves forward with Golding for the postseason.