LSU coaching search: Governor Jeff Landry reveals how much he knows about hiring process

The chase for Lane Kiffin at LSU is all over the place after ESPN Baton Rouge’s Matt Moscona denied a recent report. Moscona reacted to a report from Peter Hamby regarding Governor Jeff Landry’s involvement and knowledge of the situation.

“At a political fundraiser in Baton Rouge tonight, Landry said he had spoken to Lane Kiffin ‘for two hours’ about the LSU gig,” Hamby wrote. “But he also joked that (ESPN Baton Rouge’s) Matt Moscona knows more about the job search than he does, per source in the room.”

That’s where Moscona denied the report and said Kiffin’s name was never mentioned regarding LSU at this particular fundraiser. Moscona said Landry was joking and paraphrased.

“This is not accurate,” Moscona wrote. “I was at the event as a guest of a client. Landry said jokingly (paraphrasing) ‘all I want for Christmas is a new coach. I don’t know who it’s going to be. Ask Matt Moscona—he knows more about it than me.’ No mention of speaking to Kiffin. At least not during his public remarks.”

Landry getting involved in the search, at least from a talking perspective, is no surprise. Although he reportedly talked to Kiffin, the Governor previously claimed on The Pat McAfee Show that he was not going to pick a coach.

“I’m not,” Landry said when asked if he’s picking LSU’s next head coach. “Emphatically, I am not picking a coach. That is not my job. The only reason I am really about that is this contract between the state of Louisiana and the state system and Brian Kelly leaves the taxpayers of the state with the bill. There is misinformation out there. They are saying taxpayers are not liable. They are not reading the contract.

“All I care about is the taxpayers of our state. That contract binds the state of Louisiana. If we have to pay $53 million, and somebody else doesn’t step up to foot that bill, the state of Louisiana has to foot that bill. That is in the contract.”

There was reportedly an ultimatum given to Kiffin by Ole Miss, as far as a decision is concerned. We’re getting close to that deadline, but Kiffin denied such a move was made.

“That’s absolutely not true. There’s been no ultimatum or anything like that at all,” Kiffin said. “I don’t know where that came from, like a lot of stuff that comes out there. Like I said, man, we’re having a blast. I love it here.

“… It just couldn’t be better. Like I said, you pray for things. Our fans prayed for this type of thing, and now we’re in the middle of it. So, enjoy it. You’re 10-1. You’re getting ready. You got a bye week. You get to watch half the country lose, and there’s no way we can lose Saturday. And then, you play the Egg Bowl and go dominate that and keep that Egg Bowl trophy home where it’s been for a long time.”

In his sixth year at the helm of Ole Miss, Kiffin is on the cusp of leading the Rebels to their first-ever appearance in the College Football Playoff. Ole Miss is 10-1 and has an excellent chance of appearing in the CFP, even if it happened to lose to Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl.