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(Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)
On December 1, LSU Tigers named Lane Kiffin as their new head coach, drawing reactions from former alumni, including Minnesota Vikings standout Justin Jefferson.
Kiffin signed a seven-year, $91 million contract to become the Tigers‘ new head coach that includes the opportunity to earn additional compensation through incentives, according to records obtained by The Advocate.
The deal guarantees $13 million per year before incentives, placing him just under Georgia’s Kirby Smart. Only Smart, Kiffin, and Ohio State’s Ryan Day make more than $12 million annually before incentives.
On December 15, Jefferson spoke with Yahoo! Sports and was asked about LSU’s decision to name Kiffin the guy to lead the program for the foreseeable future.
“I think he’s the right one for the job,” Jefferson told Andrew Siciliano. “Seeing his history, the places he came from, the coaches he’s worked under, and the work he’s done at Ole Miss, I think he’s a good fit for us. He’s going to bring in a lot of talent and put us back where we need to be. I think he’s going to turn LSU back to where it needs to go.”
Vikings Star Offers Promising LSU Outlook
Moreover, Jefferson spoke about the situation LSU finds itself in after firing Brian Kelly, hoping that Kiffin can be the right guy to lead the university back to glory, which it hasn’t seen since the Vikings star was there catching passes from Joe Burrow.
“I love Brian Kelly and the work he was doing in the organization, but Lane feels different. He has an aura and swagger. Hearing his confidence in the press conference shows how he plans to bring himself into the organization. He understands how big LSU is and how far it can go with his help. I’m excited for him and to see what we will do next year.”
Lane Kiffin Talks Taking LSU Tigers Job
Kiffin owns a 117-53 record over 14 seasons as a college head coach at Tennessee, USC, Florida Atlantic, and Ole Miss, with seven campaigns reaching double-digit wins.
He pointed to three mentors he holds in the highest regard for their defensive expertise: his father, Monte Kiffin, Pete Carroll, and Nick Saban. Moreover, Kiffin said that, honoring a promise to his late father to watch over him, the current Las Vegas Raiders head coach urged him to take the LSU job, and that Saban also offered encouragement.
“Coach Saban coached at another place in this conference, so I can’t really say exactly what he said,” Kiffin said on December 1 (h/t ESPN). “But I’ll say, I think the world of Coach Saban, and I respect him. And so there’s a reason we’re here…
“When you take the history, tradition, passion and the great players in the state of Louisiana, no one can argue that when you’re in Tiger Stadium on Saturday night, there is nothing like it,” Kiffin said. “This place is built for championships with championship expectations — we understand that — but as an elite competitor, that’s exactly what you want, and that’s why we’re here.”
Eduardo Razo Eduardo Razo is a sports journalist covering the NFL for Heavy.com. He previously covered the league for NBC Sports Washington and NBC Sports Bay Area & California, and has contributed as a freelance writer for The Sporting News. He also served as an editor for Athlon Sports and Heavy Sports focusing on MLB and the NFL. More about Eduardo Razo
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