Kelly sees Kiffin ready for LSU: ‘Just be Lane Kiffin’

Former LSU head coach Brian Kelly believes Lane Kiffin will thrive in Baton Rouge – as long as he keeps being himself.

“Lane doesn’t need advice,” Kelly told John Brice of USA Today. “He’s seen it from the NFL to (USC) to building a program. … I don’t think I’m telling him anything he doesn’t know.

“The world we live in today – Michigan just won a basketball championship with five transfers. You can do it, but there are so many moving pieces. I don’t think he needs any advice. … People are going to judge you based upon what they think anyway. So, just be Lane Kiffin.”

Kiffin, who became the most coveted coach in college football last season, left Ole Miss to join LSU in November, signing a seven-year, $91-million contract to replace Kelly.

LSU fired Kelly midway through the season, his fourth with the team. He posted a 34-14 record with the Tigers, who didn’t come close to contending for a national title under his watch.

The 64-year-old reflected on his disappointing LSU tenure.

“I would say there’s an easy, simple answer, and I didn’t win enough games,” Kelly said. “There’s a longer answer to why that didn’t happen; I’ll probably have to write a book about that. There’s always cause and effect, and the effect was I didn’t win enough games, period.

“We were 34-14, 22-3 at home, when I was fired. We had two 10-win seasons, won an SEC (West Division) championship, had the No. 1 offense in college football, a Heisman Trophy winner. When you look at what is winning and what keeps you employed, other people make those decisions. But it starts with what is defined as winning, and unfortunately, it wasn’t defined as enough winning leading into being fired.”

Kelly previously achieved great success at Grand Valley State, Cincinnati, and most notably, Notre Dame. He helped the Fighting Irish reach the national title game in 2013.

The three-time Coach of the Year said he still wants to “make a difference” in college football.

“The motivator for me is what you miss,” Kelly said. “The decisions that were made (at LSU), those were other people. I didn’t have any control over that. What you lose is relationships with players, when I’ve been doing it my entire career. I miss that the most.

“All the young men that have been under my charge over 35 years. I feel like I have a lot still to give. Even with all this money in college football, they still need mentorship, still need development. … My motivation is to want to get back to building relationships and successful programs.”

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