AD Verge Ausberry introduces Lane Kiffin at LSU

LSU has introduced Lane Kiffin as the new head coach at the introductory press conference on Monday afternoon. Before Kiffin took the podium, athletic director Verge Ausberry introduced Kiffin and talked about the process that went into getting him to Baton Rouge.

Here is everything he said.

“I want to thank President Rousse and our Board of Supervisors and the Governor for their commitment to making sure we got the coach we need. I also want to thank Ms. Julie Cohen and the search committee for the long hours the past couple of weeks, making sure we got this done and done the right way for Louisiana. Julie’s been my all-star. Is she in the room tonight? She’s here. Julie likes to stay in the background. She’s very important for this process, helping us get Coach Kiffin here. I can honestly tell you, from the moment we determined that a coaching change would be necessary, the first name on Woodward’s list was Lane Kiffin.

There are a lot of great coaches out there, and we performed due diligence on several other candidates, but the name none of us could shake was Lane. LSU football has a unique place in the history of the game, in the traditions of the SEC, and in the hearts of everyone with any connection to the state of Louisiana. Purple and gold have always represented something special—representing Death Valley on a Saturday night. It represents some historic offenses and stifling defenses, as well as championships and excellence.

That word “excellence” is our issue, our cause. And I’ll stand and tell anyone in the world that they are watching LSU. As a former player and as an administrator here for the last nearly 30 years, I can tell you that when the band strikes up “Hold That Tiger,” there’s no better place in the world to be. So when we realized it was time to replace our head football coach, we knew we had to find someone who could get it—who would understand tradition, personality, culture, and who could contribute to both our history and to our future.

Immediately, Lane Kiffin became our prime target. He was not only an offensive innovator, energizer, and winner. He was also a program builder, a burning recruiter, and the most competitive coach in America and a big enough personality to operate in a state of big personalities. In a program and a state that charges something, we believed Lane wouldn’t blink. We believed he could thrive. I’m not going to tell you the road to getting him here didn’t have some challenges, but I will say those challenges came from the right reasons. Lane was running a championship-contending team. He loves his players, and he wanted to do the right thing for his family. I admire all of those reasons, they made me want him more.

We believed that LSU is the place he may be willing to come. We believed it would be a perfect fit for someone like him. We told Lane that LSU was not just a place to come to win games, he has done that already. We told him LSU was a place to come to contend for national championships year in, year out. We promised him the resources to recruit and develop the best players in the country.

We promised him a student body and a fan base that demands success, and we promised him a state and a community that will welcome him and his family, and that was eager to become, with his leadership, legendary. It does sound like big promises, but you don’t know how much I love and believe in LSU and in Louisiana. We asked him to believe too.

He showed us he was all in. I can read you his résumé, but you probably already know it. I can tell you more about his personality, but you’re probably familiar with that, too. I can tell you he has the presence and energy to make everyone he works with believe in winning at LSU. But I know you’ll find that out soon enough.

I can’t wait to get down to work. Lane, the process to get you here hasn’t always been the most predictable, but I believe you will finally be home. Lane, we want to welcome you and your family to LSU, to Baton Rouge, and to the state of Louisiana.

Geaux Tigers.”

Stay tuned for more coverage of Kiffin’s opening press conference