Lane Kiffin
Appearances
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
Yeah. They're like, like coach, you were three for 14 on third downs. I'm like, I didn't even know that. And they do, but it's just, it just means more the passion for it. And it's also why it's so awesome too. It's why the stadiums are the way that they are. The electricity before games, as people walk into the stadiums, like it's just different.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
Well, I, like, moved. This happened at Tennessee and then here. And maybe this isn't, like, the best thing, but I, like, moved it a little wider. Like, they didn't have, like, barricades on the walk. And they're like, well, it's great, man. The fans are like, you interact with them. Well, this walk is, like, a half mile. Like, you're walking through, like, 40,000 people. Yeah.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
You know, and, like, you got to wear a suit and everything. And then, like, they're, like, grabbing you and everything. And so I moved the barricades a little.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
Yeah, like, a little wider. Plus, I mean, we are in the deep south, so there's a lot of great things. But, I mean, there's just some different things, too, now. You know, they're, like, grabbing you, and they got chew spit on their hands and stuff.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
And it's like, whoa, can we, like, move these just back a little bit? Maybe, like, maybe I can just do the wave. Yeah. You know, hey, guys, good to see you.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
Yeah. I can unpack there. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it's a lot of history. I moved here. A lot of tradition. And everything you're going to give me is just full disclosure anyway. I moved here because it was SEC head job, and I thought we could win and do a great job. I wasn't like, man, I want to move to like... I'm just really dying to move to Oxford, Mississippi. Right.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
But I also didn't know much about it either. So I judged it that way, just kind of like a lot of people do about Mississippi. And at first, it was a lot. Because I'd spent most of my time before that in South Florida or in LA at USC. And I was like, at first, I was like, whew, this is a lot. Like, I mean...
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
long-winded like a lot of conversations slow moving oh yeah but then you say thank you like it's not over right hey thank you yeah and then like they just keep going yeah oh yeah like no but no really thank you i really appreciate it like i'm gonna go to go now oh well um well what are you so what are you doing tomorrow I just met you like, you know, like.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
But then it took me some. I'm so glad that I've been here long enough now, five years going on the sixth year. And now I see it completely different. Now I go back to like South Florida or I go to LA and I'm like, dang, these people are rude. Like everybody's just moving fast. Everybody's just into themselves. Nobody's like saying hi. So it's like what I thought really was kind of bad.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
Now I'm like, man, I love it now. You know, it's like a warmth, a sweetness, you know, hospitality and people being nice. And I've learned to, that's actually slowed me down because I was always like, What job can I get? You know, how fast can I move? How many championships to win? Like just always moving. And I was like, maybe they're onto something here.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
Which yoga? Okay. Big difference. Yeah. My daughter's actually as a Pilates teacher, but yoga is like better, like the hot yoga part of it. Yeah. Intensity, like make it so, so miserable. You know, that's what I do. I control the heat in the back.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
Maybe this slow down thing that I was judging at first, like I made jokes about the rocking chairs, like people sit in rocking chairs. Yeah. And I'm like, first Charlotte airport or whatever. I saw that. Yeah, I did when I was, and I was like, you'll see somebody has a 40 second layover. They're like, I'm going to get a little rest in. Yeah.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
And I'm like, I actually saw some right away and people were in them. And I said to some right away, I'm like, what are they doing? That looks miserable. Like that's so slow. And there's just two of them. Sometimes one. Like, what are you doing? They don't even have their phone out. Like, what are you doing? And now I'm like, hey, they're onto something. Just slow down.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
And so I've kind of said, hey, maybe there's something to the Mississippi lane. I just slow down, taking conversations, listen to people instead of just always talking and moving.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
I had some cool... A couple of cool things happen like that where... I was with Landry, my daughter, at this... With Landry? Yes. At Jinsei, the sushi restaurant. And I'm at the restaurant with her and this... This kid comes up and senior in college. And she goes, she... And like the South, because women know the football just as much as the men. Oh, yeah. And she's like, I just want to thank you.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
She's like, my four years here have been amazing. Like... She's like, this was like a year ago. So her first year had been bad. So she's like, my four year, the first year, the team was bad. Then you came and then she's like, you totally changed my college experience. I'm like, dang, that's really cool.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
You know, that like, like you said, your buddy now like feels better about wearing an Ole Miss shirt. You know, there's like more pride into it, you know? So that's pretty cool that we've been part of that change and part of that experience for kids that like, Now they're going to want to come back to games, you know? And so that's pretty cool.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
Yeah. Nobody wants to be like, man, when I was in college, man, our team sucked. Like nobody went to the games. It was terrible. You know, like. So it's really cool that we've been part of that. Again, coming into a place that had been down a little bit. That's another cool part of it. Yeah. And also like the players too.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
When you come in and they've been losing, then the players in the locker room and you come in and they just embrace everything. And then you start winning and they're just so excited because they're not used to it. So that's a really cool thing about turning programs around and being in those locker rooms. To see that happen? Yes. To see their appreciation for that. Again, where...
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
If you're just coming in on places on top and they're just winning and they're just winning again, they just expect it. And so they're not as appreciative of those moments because they haven't had it taken away.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
I feel like I keep it together. Like I keep the group together because like one will beat the other or they'll say something and they kind of like get mad at each other and then they won't like text for a week. If like you beat him, then he doesn't text for a week or if they're playing each other that week, they certainly aren't going to say anything. And I'm like, guys.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
And by you beat him, it means you, when you guys beat Georgia last year, but go on. I feel it. But then I just say something that night, you know, like, Hey man, like you'll probably get us next year. You know, like they don't like, they don't think that's funny. You know, like then one of them side texts me like, Hey man, you shouldn't have said that Kirby's pissed off, you know?
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
And I'm like, dude, it's just a game. Relax. We're buddies. Do you guys vote on how another coach gets into the text chain? What is the... Yeah. There's been conversations about that.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
Yeah. So I make it that way too. Like that we're playing like in the swamp or in a, in Baton Rouge, like in our early September games. So it's like really hot. So you're like fight through it. Yeah. Yeah. Baton ratchet, dude. That's what I call it.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
I just kind of... I actually have a... They may not know this. we're giving a lot of information out today. Appreciate, appreciate you coming. So, you know, kind of give you some special insight. I have multiple ones. So sometimes I'll say something, that guy's not in it and that guy's, you know, then this guy's in it.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
And so like, I kind of make sure I know who's in them, you know, when I say certain things and then, You know, every once in a while I've got someone who does something and then I move them out of the chat. No. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's happened. You know, Jimbo Fisher removed from chat. RIP. And then like, then I like put them back in. Yeah. But, and, and they're like typical coaches.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
They don't know how to remove somebody or add somebody. So it's like pretty cool that I can do it. And they're like, how do you do that? Yeah. Yeah.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Coaches are a little behind time. That's a big deal to be able to remove somebody from which had like, Whoa, he must really like have somebody teaching him this stuff.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
Maybe Brian Kelly, speaking of LSU, you know, like I like Brian, not a South guy, you know, kind of came in. And so I think maybe people don't really understand him. You know, he's just kind of, he's a little bit different than maybe your traditional, like Kirby smart. He's like born and raised SEC. Oh yeah. He cuts his own hair. It looks like it. Yeah, it definitely does.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
And he shows the same haircut from when he was playing. It's like it never changed.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
Yeah, I was trying to get you to go this morning, so then you would have gone through the misery and the experience, and then we'd discuss it on air, so you'd be like, man. I did get my yoga in this morning, though. Yeah, a little slower, a little different. Yeah, I got it in at room temp. This isn't like traditional yoga, like flow, which that's good. And that's actually where I started with it.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
Yeah. He was with a quarter. It was terrible. Look at that.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
I thought this was for- Yeah, I think I wrote something like, do you actually know they're filming you? Like, did you put this out on purpose? Like, you know they're going to film you when you're doing this? I thought this was a gender reveal. And I was like, well, what are we, what is it? Yeah. And it's not like his first one. He did it like the year before.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
I'm like, do you realize you're like kind of grinding on the dude?
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
No, I don't think so. And he's a nice guy. You're like at Notre Dame. Right. You're at Notre Dame, and then you're like LSU. I know. I mean. I know. I mean, you went from heaven to. Yeah, that's just like, that's as big a change as you can have. South Bend to Baton Rouge. Oh, yeah. And the SEC, and so.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
Then I was like, I got to go to another level, like make this, put a heater in there, like make it as hot, intense, and then like put cardio in there. And I just like bringing new people too. And then they struggle. So it makes me feel good about myself. Oh, yeah. Yeah. That's part of it.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
um and you don't see that in other conferences so that totally happens and i remember so my first taste of the south was going to tennessee as the head coach and i'm coming from i was the head coach of the oakland raiders and i've been at usc before this i'm like coming from california to like tennessee and i remember i'm like there's a lot of people. They have a spring game.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
There's like 70,000 people here at the spring game, like 50,000 there two hours before. And they're like, yeah, at the big games, like the thing will sell out. Then there'll be another 20,000 outside. And I'm like, I went to school here. I'm like, no, no, don't get it. No. And then when I went to Alabama, the same thing, they're like, no, half these people didn't go to school here.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
They just, they lived in the state at one point. So they, it's their team. It's not because they went to school there. And like, Their passion is unbelievable. And I'm like, wait, you didn't even go to school over here. No, no, no. I didn't go to school at all. But my daddy knew somebody that did. Yeah. I'm like, wait, your dad went. No, he didn't either. So no one in your family ever went.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
No, sir. To Alabama. No, sir. But you like your whole week, your whole year is affected whether they win or lose. Like just angry the rest of the year, whether they win or lose that like Alabama, Tennessee game. Yes, sir. That's it. Yes, sir. But it doesn't impact you like your job. Do you work for it? No, I don't work, sir. But I cheer for the Todd.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
Yeah, you know, like favorite might be somewhere really easy. Like, no, the most intense places.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
This is why you have like such a different audience of like so many different areas of, because like you use big words too. You know, like, yeah, you're educated. Majestic. M-U-H-S. Majestic place. Yeah, yeah. What's a big, yeah. Neyland Stadium in Tennessee is like amazing. Like it's just like when we would bring recruits there, it is majestic. Like there you go.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
Like, and then at night, and then there's the river and the boats and, And then the intensity in there. So I was the head coach here at Ole Miss. We went to play at Tennessee. And it was like on from warmups. Like everyone was there, over 100,000 people. And there was like this hatred.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
towards me like i felt like the gladiator the movie you know like i was they're getting ready for like a thumbs down you know like let's kill them yeah and then it like and it's probably 12 000 people are carrying weapons in there at that time they had a real conversation with me during the week about bulletproof vests like but again like there's no way guys come on man it's football and they're like they're like three cops with me and everything like
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
Like it's deer season, sir. They didn't really do that. Maybe like a golf ball, you know, they're going to throw at me or a bottle or something. Yeah. So they're walking in and I was like, this is awesome. Yeah. Like now I could feel. Ooh. Yeah, they were, like, chanting, like, you know, like, fuck Lane Kiffin. And, like, that was actually, like, felt kind of, like, intense and cool.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
Yeah, every day, every morning. It like starts my day that way. And so there's no phone for an hour, you know, and you got to like you got to get uncomfortable and you got to sit in it. So I fear if I can start my day, use it like six o'clock in the morning that way. And be so uncomfortable, that's the hardest part of my day. The rest of it, man, I can deal with the rest.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
And then the, like, student section was, like... Hey, you know, last night we were with your wife. And I was like, man, that's pretty funny. Like to come up with stuff, you know, like, so it was intense and it was like, and it just kept building. So maybe like everybody didn't hate me at the beginning, but then, you know, it's like a crowd, like storm, they feel it.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
And then the hatred just kept building. And then it was like really close game at then. And then we won. You guys won? Yeah. And then they got pissed and they like threw things at me. Like golf ball. Oh, yeah. And like anything they could get. And school books, which we need in Tennessee, first of all. They didn't have school books. Oh, okay. No. Mustard bottles. Oh, really?
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
Like how do you even have a mustard bottle? You just brought that to the game? Like, hey. Hey, we're going to go to the game and sneak the mustard bottle in. Oh, you're in the damn condiment belt over there. Isn't mustard free?
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
And the golf, like, and I was like, they throw this golf ball that became famous that like, they throw at me and I'm like, afterwards, I'm like, okay, mustard, like, okay, what am I sneaking in to the game? A golf, like, what do you have a golf ball for? Mm-hmm. Like I'm carrying a golf balls. Cause I don't think they're thinking I'm going to throw it.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
Like I'm gonna be pissed off in the fourth quarter and throw it. Right. They just had it on them. Yeah. But then I look closer as a range ball. So I feel like, you know what it was? It's like the cheap guy that like steals the range ball. So like, okay, this way I don't like have these to hit.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
Like, you know, instead of like having to buy a golf ball, so I'm gonna steal the range ball like for next time I go and play around. So it was just in his pocket. That was my guess. I think that's probably accurate.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
um is there a weird energy there for a little like is it kind of that one was yeah yeah that one definitely was um most of the time it's not really sometimes i kind of like it you know like kind of walk off a little slow you know just so like you feel that like that win that you just like ruined 100 000 people's like especially in the sec like week on this day oh yeah their traffic home
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
Well, this is like a big tradition, like as far as everywhere, not specific places. Like I love the band thing, you know, before, like, it's just really cool when they have the band out there and they spell things. Speaking of the Tennessee, the opening of the T and then run out, like that was really cool to like, see you're like right there.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
And then like the band just opens up the T and you run out. Like that's, that's a really cool tradition.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
The fan storming thing is a little bit tough. You know, like. they don't do it in the NFL. They found a way, like I get it. It's pretty cool. Um, but then it can be aggravating because like they're storming and like, and you're worried about like, I'm hitting you. What's going on? What are they going to do? It's like very, um, very invasive at that point. But, um,
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
And so that, you know, you just, you get in those poses too, in those positions, you're just like, man, this is, I want to get out of this discomfort. So I got to stay in the discomfort. And over time, just, I'm able to stay in it longer and longer and more intense with the heat. And I feel like the rest of the day, man, I'm just kind of like chill for the rest of the day.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
I think like if they could just let everybody out and then let the fans on. So they still get to tear the goalpost down. Cause that's the school and stuff.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
Yeah, but you were at a historic moment. It was so cool. That will probably never happen ever again. I don't see. It was a once-in-a-lifetime.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
We tried. We didn't win it. Jack Star actually tried to get another year or at least see if the option was there. And, you know, they denied it. And there we are. We iced that dude up.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
Them. I do. Yeah, Vanderbilt. Because I think they have, like, so much stacked against them, you know? Like, they got higher academic... qualifications to get guys in so they can't just get all the players everybody else can, you know, like harder, you know, because the stadium's usually half full and stuff. So I root for them, especially Clark, because that's a hard job.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
And so that's, that's pretty cool for them to win like they did this year.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
Yeah, we do. Um, he's not a big like techs guy. Um, but we talk every once in a while. Um, He's not texting. He's like to write.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
No, you got to call him. Okay. He did just learn how in the last like two years, two texts. He had never texted before. Wow. Ever. Like when I was assisting coach Sarah, he's just like, I'm not texting. Like, he just refused. It was like that old school. Like, he's got those old school things that aren't changing.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
And then I, like, got a text, like, two years ago from him that said good luck or something like that. And I was like, to the group, I was like, dude, I got a Saban text. Like, this is amazing. This is like Manor Belt beating Alabama. Like, this isn't supposed to happen. Never thought I'd see this day. And then Kirby's like, yeah, I got one earlier this year, too.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
Like, he's, like, learned how to text. Just, like, you get one or two words, but...
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
um but that relationship's like almost in a way kind of like how you can struggle sometimes like maybe when you're in it with like a parent and then you get out like you get older and you get away get out of the house yeah and then you're like dang man he he was on to something he was right on those things so i look back and i was there for three years And there was friction initially.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
And I look back, there's all my, I'm the assistant. You know what I mean? Like he's the head coach, you know, whatever he says goes. Oh yeah. You supposed to keep it classy over there. Yes. And that's not, his way is very like, this is the way, like there's not open discussions about it and stuff. And I was, I'd worked for Pete Carroll as assistant. So that's all I knew.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
And it's just totally different. So, like, you come in, you have an open conversation, and you're questioning the process. No, I just was asking, like, have we looked at this? You know, like, so I didn't really know how it worked right away. And so it took a little bit of time. Like, he didn't want a lot of suggestions. No, no, no, no. It's not like a suggestion box. Like, hey, let me pull this.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
Oh, here's a good idea. You know, like, so it was just something I wasn't used to that way. And so it took a little bit of time. But now that I look back, I'm like, okay, he was, so strict on everything, kind of like an apparent way, like with his team, with the players, the coaches, like nothing changed. We won a national championship and there's 7.30 staff meeting the next morning.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
Yeah. Well, we have playlists. So we got good music, good energetic music. We put some cardio in there now. And so we challenge the teachers, like, come up with the hardest things possible. So they just, like, make this list of stuff, like...
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
I'm like, what are we meeting on at 7.30 the next morning? He's like, we're behind. You know, because we won the championship, everybody else was recruiting and we're behind. And I was like, well, what are we doing? But now I look back and be like, that's why he is what he is. That's why he was so great. Because it was like the standard never changed no matter what.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
And then it took me some time to understand too, like when you, when we were winning and playing really well and coaching really well, he was harder on you because he didn't want you to have relief syndrome. You know, like, oh man, we've made it. And I didn't really understand that. I saw he was on the pivot like a month ago and I listened to it with my son Knox and he talked about it in there.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
He'd never explained it to us before. But it was interesting to hear. And he said, most people are born with a relief syndrome. He wasn't. He just always had this way of thinking like, Hey, you never relax. Like, but most people are. So he went above and beyond to make sure people didn't have that. Like we'd win a game. And then he comes in and just like rips us.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
And we're like, man, we played great. Like coach. Great. That was because he was guarding against that because he knew that that could happen. Dang. Yeah. He wasn't letting anything be a possibility to lose. When I left, we had won 26 straight games. So I only hadn't had many losses, but I do remember the three losses that we had over the three years. Like he actually, after those was calm.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
Like that's when we didn't get ripped because he's like, they're going to get ripped anyway. I don't need to, you know, like I need to, when they're feeling good about themselves, bring them down. So I didn't really understand that at first. And now I look back on, man, he was, there's a reason he's the greatest. Wow. Yeah. Do you regard him as the greatest? Yeah, I do.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
I think because, you know, to bear Bryant's like legends back then, no offense. They had like unlimited scholarships. Coach Saban did it in an era where there were reduced scholarship numbers.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
you know, back when you were like young and you were like training in high school and they just put up all the, all the different, like three by 10, three by 15, like all these and keep going. And then like some of the classes like are public. So we got students in there, we got other people in there.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
he also did an error when you're losing coaches left and right you know he lost so many assistant coaches and he just kept winning and i don't think anybody will ever be able to do that again and he couldn't even do that again the way that it's going anyway and now this with the money part and all that stuff that's that's like evening things out that people can't stack the
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
teams like he did because now your second team and third teams maybe before where they had to sit there and wait they couldn't leave back then now they leave so you lose your backups because someone gives them more money and but how was he able to convince players to sit there be just as good and sit second or third position that's tough I feel like Yeah. Well, that's what I'm saying.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
Part of his time, they couldn't leave yet. You couldn't transfer. Now you can transfer twice a year. So he still was able at the end to convince some guys to stay, but he started losing so the teams weren't as deep.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
that helped a lot but he never changed that was him like there was no relief it never changed like he recruited every day no matter what and he was non-stop and he's relentless people always say okay well why did he win so many championships why was he so good and i was like well there's the process there's the assistant coaches there's the discipline all these different areas right
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
But really the number one thing that mattered the most, he out-recruited people. He got better players. When you get better players, you win a lot of games. It wasn't just coming there just to come there. They came there because he recruited really hard.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
Um, coach didn't do a lot of other things. I didn't know he golfed. I never golfed with him, but he golfed.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
So, and then we like, I feel like civilians, I'm trying, I'm trying to take Oxford to another level. So I'm like, I want for generations it to be tough. Yeah. And so sometimes they're like, well, open the door. You know, I'm like, don't open the door, man. We like keep them in the heat. Yeah. Hold the line.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
interesting you know nick saban and people would joke nick satan you know he was born on halloween was he really his birthday every year's halloween oh yeah so maybe his whole freaking existence was a costume maybe but he did not there was not he wasn't gonna wear a costume or something like that on halloween so there was no like how could he didn't have like halloween parties on your own birthday even put on a little cat tail or something
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
Because no day was different. Every day was the same. Wow. I will say this. I went to Easter one time at his house. And my kids, they were still living in California with my wife. And because I took the Alabama job and then they came for Easter.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
And he invited us over and we went over there and he was different. Now he didn't put on like a bunny costume, but like he was helping the kids with like the Easter eggs. And he had one grandkid at the time. And he was like carrying around and like, And it was totally different than the office Nick Saban that we would see all the time. So that was pretty cool to see that side of him.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
Now, he's also so competitive that his grandkid was like one. And all of a sudden, the grandkid found the golden egg while he was with Coach way over there. So Coach also was going to make sure that he won. Yeah. But it was pretty cool to see him like that.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
I do. I think that, and he mentioned that in that pivot podcast, but I did always think, okay, if he was going to do this, he was going to have to have an, and I used to say, he's going to have to kind of have that college game day spot. Cause he's going to want to still like be involved. You know, he's just so wired all day long to do something for his entire life. Now he ain't,
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
he's not going to sit around and just, you know, be a grandpa. That's not him. So I think because of that, that's helped a lot. I wouldn't actually be surprised if he came back in the NFL, even, you know, as head coach, because he just, he's so good at it. And so in him that I'm not sure he won't come back.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
So then at the end, like, I'm like, guess what? We need overtime. Like last week, I'm like, it's March madness. We need an overtime. And everybody's like, no, no overtime. No overtime coach. And I'm like, kick the field goal, coach. We got to get out of here. Yeah, we're making these kids tougher.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
What am I even doing today? Yeah, you're getting really like— I know. I feel like going into this, we were going to go a lot of different directions, and now you've come back to like— I think people are probably turned off by now.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
Oh, dude. Tell us about your depth at safety this year. Yeah. How do you guys feel about third down package? Nobody wants to hear that.
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
Yeah. A lot of booster part because they got to get their resources paid. Now that's going to get a little bit moved now with revenue sharing and coming from the school, but... These last few years has been, okay, well, the boosters have to create these collectives and have to source the money to pay the players. So if you don't have the money, you don't have the payroll, it's hard to get players.
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
And if you see, it's not hard. Look at who just won in basketball, the programs that made the Final Four. Look at what, you know, the Final Four college football teams, like they're major programs that have a lot of financial resources. So, yeah, you got to do a lot of that. And then you got to convince the players now.
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
where it's different is the old school unfortunately kind of the old school recruiting of the relationships and having a relationship three years since the kid was a sophomore in high school and stuff it's not as important anymore because now i'm like okay well what are you paying me you know the school is this the school is this the school is this and most of them usually go to the higher higher number and is that just a real question out of the gate is what is the offer yeah
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
wow and do most of them have agents or they have to do that directly by themselves yeah they now it's now just transitioned to where most of them agents oh that's trash it's really you know we're in my office right here so i sit here all the time and the recruits sit over there where your guys are and the parents and i said this to our staff the other day like i've sat in so many of these meetings like whatever say the last hundred
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
And do you know, I never hear anymore, what's your graduation rate? I never hear anymore, like, what's the academic plan? And it's just kind of sad. These are the parents. It just is what it is. And then I go, okay, well, when's our NIL meeting? Yeah. What's the number? What's the second year number? Like, I'm not mad about it, but it's just kind of sad. Yeah, you just recognize it.
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
And I'm also recognizing it to say – I don't believe long-term that's good for the kids. So this has been great for players to make some money, but it's so much money and it's so much focus on the money that then it's like, okay, well, then what's next? If I'm already getting the money when I'm 18, then what? Right. You've seen this all the time. People get too much too early, and then what?
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
They crash. Crash out. Yes, and I feel like we're creating a lot of that in this. And now a kid's sitting there listening to his parents at, you know, they want to know the money. Like, so what's the kid supposed to want to know?
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
But I'm sure at that time you thought, man, if I just had a million dollars, man, I'd have no problems.
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
Yeah. Then life would be great. I hear it all the time. These players, I just get money, man. Players, I hear it from adults. I get money, man, on my problems. Then I'll be good. Okay. We'll see. We'll see. When I go in the homes and recruiting over all these years, I see the most problems in the families with the most money. Hmm. Most money, most success.
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
And then I don't feel any warmth in that room. I don't feel the connection with the kids. Like, and then I'll go to a house here in Mississippi or Louisiana, you know, and there'll be 10 people living in this two bedroom house. And you just feel like the warmth and like the closeness and everything.
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
And they ain't got hardly anything financially, but then they have this love and this family and, um, I've just done this for a long time, and I see it usually the other way around. The bigger the houses, the more cars, the more money, the more problems.
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
Yeah, I would say very different. I looked at social media when I started. It was for recruiting because we weren't able to text. It was a dumb NCAA rule like most of them. You couldn't text them? Could you mail? Yeah, you could DM them. You could...
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
Yeah. Yeah. A lot of them run fast, jump, throw, and it's their minds and then getting in their own way. You know, and then here comes this, now you got money too. Here comes this ego coming in because I'm a five star. I got all these scholarship offers, like the entitlement of that and the ego comes in and out. Now they got the money too. So it's like,
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
they had this drive to get to the NFL because they want to play in the NFL and they want to get the money. Well, I'm getting the money already. So now that's, now I've lost some drive there. Right. And they just get in their own ways, you know, and they get so much attention so early and so much. And then it's like, they just think it's going to last forever.
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
And they just like, they just screw it up. So they get in their own ways. Dang. And it's usually that one word ego. Yeah.
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
Not the animal. I wouldn't say crazy. Like I don't have a good story, like a crazy thing, you know, like, but it just, what continues to blow my mind in nowadays is they want more when they haven't done anything new. Meaning like, okay, here's what I got. I got this to come, you know, to transfer, to come around to high school. And then they come in like, okay, well, I need more.
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
on twitter you can message them you can message them on twitter but you couldn't text them personally yes made no sense right so that's why it was started and then i just kind of started being a normal person i was like you know i can't be a normal person as a coach in a lot of my life so i was like on social media i'll just be normal and then buddies start sending me stuff i just retweet it or other coaches like in the sec like kirby smart he all the time because he's politically correct so
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
And they're like, well, you didn't do anything. Like, You didn't have a good year. Well, why, why would you get more? Like, it's just that mindset of like, I just deserve more. Like I deserve more and more because there's no, there's no appreciation in there for where they're at or like, man, I got to play better to get more. Just I'm supposed to get more. And that happens all the time.
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
There's two transfer portal windows. So like if you could negotiate your contract twice a year, every year, but then, For six months, you haven't done a show. You haven't done anything. But after that six-month period, you want a new contract and a new deal bigger than what you had, but you hadn't done anything. Yeah. Or maybe you screwed the shows up. Right.
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
Through interceptions, but you still want more. So it's just, and it's not even their fault. There's the parents. Now you got agents. Do you still feel like a coach or do you feel like a banker more? Mm-hmm. it's not really like a banker, but you, you spend so much time not coaching.
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
And I think that's part of the Nick Saban and, you know, getting out, it's just like, it just changed, you know, because these conversations and these things, and you see the like greed for it, you know, like, but it's, it's a, it's unique because from someone that's been fortunate to make money, have success, get to the highest levels, like,
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
It's like, I keep trying to tell them like, that's not going to be the answer. Like that new contract, getting that much more money isn't going to change anything. You're not going to, you know, be happier because of, but it's like, they don't. You can't hear it. Yes. Kids can't hear it. Cannot. I can sit in these two chairs right here to some, some, most of them, some will, but most of them.
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
And they just look at me like, there's no, I'm like, listen to me until you fix these internal problems until you fix how you think that everybody's against you or whatever it is, these issues that they each have. And I'll try to like work through them. I'm like that, that money, that new contract, that next car, that next girl, like that's not going to fix that. And I'm like, what?
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
If I get picked in the first round, I got that contract, everything is fixed.
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
Coach, I don't care what you say. Type shit. Trust me.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
You mean 40? I don't know. That's good, you confuse people. It might be good, it might be bad. I don't know if you're slow or fast. 6'1", 50.
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
Yeah, this is a really cool place to go to school. And so I got to see that as a parent. My daughter, Landry, is a sophomore here. Oh, yeah, I've seen her on TikTok before. I've seen y'all on there doing makeup or whatever. Yeah, yeah. Just like I said, the social media thing. I kind of live like a young person in a lot of ways. Like just enjoy. Yeah. You know, like I just try to have joy.
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
And I'm like, again, back to a lot of people, you're supposed to be old. You're supposed to be an adult. Like you can't do like a makeup TikTok with your daughter. And I'm like, I don't want to be gone someday. I'm going to be dead or I'm going to be at the end of it. You know, those last couple of years, you think I'm going to be like, man, I wish I was there. Yeah.
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
I think I'm going to be like, man, I wish I wouldn't have done that with my daughter because I,
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
But that's just kind of like how I – and I don't know. It seems like you have that too where it's kind of like, man, we're supposed to be growing up and there's certain aspects we are. But then these other areas, it's like, what's wrong with having youthful fun? We go out and play pickleball and somebody's like –
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
He's got stuff he wants to put out there, but he's like, they just send it to me because they know I will. So I just kind of embraced it and ran with it.
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
i see some old people look at me like man he's playing out there with his kids and like he's like dancing to the music you know to like taylor swift playing or something you know like i'm like why just because i'm like getting older i'm not supposed to like have fun yeah you know or like when you come to yoga in the morning and like we're crushing you in yoga and i'm kind of like dancing back like talking shit celebrating over you like
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
And if that happens in the morning, you might crush it in the morning. I don't know.
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
Yeah. I think the kids really like, we create an atmosphere that you want to be at, not have to. Same with our employees. You know, like I feel like in the morning, if you ask them when they're getting up, And they're driving their cars over whether it's players or staff. Like, they want to be here.
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
Yeah. Yeah, he does. He's working on it. Yeah. He's trying to quit some other things. Yeah.
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
Been there, done that. Yeah. But... that atmosphere of comfortable and like the players, like I've, I've been around both and I've been around as an employee where you're miserable driving in like another day. Like, and it's just like, to me, you're not very productive that way.
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
Like I want our players to come here and like, they played their own playlists, like in practice and stuff, you know, like it's a player's team with discipline, but the same thing around the office, like people, we don't even have hours. Like you don't even have like, you leave when you're done with your work. They don't have like, okay, you leave at this time.
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
Because then people just sit there and guard their desk until the time goes. So I just try to create an atmosphere that people really want to be at. And they have a lot of fun doing it. And it's really, to me, it's awesome if you can win and have fun. Because some programs like they win, but they're still miserable. And I've seen that. So we try to create this atmosphere.
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
And I think people love it. Is it tough to be like a coach and a dad?
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
Yeah. Yeah. I think like a lot of questions, I answer them differently now than I did five, 10, 15 years ago. I think, you know, as I look back and I use my failures and experiences now, it's awesome because I get to use to help others. Yeah. And I help our players when they're going through it. So I liked that. I had a lot of stuff happen to me or self-inflicted stuff. Oh yeah. That like,
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
I struggled for a long time, but then as I like now see, like I get to help, like, cause the coach knows my story or players and they come in and I can help them with things. Like when you say, okay, how did like the balance of a husband, father and head coach? Well, I failed at that because I'm as a head coach, like I was a head coach, Tennessee, USC. And I was like, that was my higher power.
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
And I'm the head coach, USC. Yeah. that's who i am not like oh i'm a husband not i'm a father like that became my higher power that was the most important thing to me and i could feel it because i'd be like oh we'd win so then like the la time sunday morning man coach lane kiffin you know like and like what do you want and i remember him asking me like what do you want someday i'm like a statue
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
would go into home visits and these parents would say or they'd come into my office like when they're doing a campus tour and they would say to me like coach we feel like we already know you we love your social media i love your twitter i love your instagram like we feel like we already know you and i'm like well shoot how much is that worth that they're already coming to visit us wanting their kid to go here saying we already know you because of it so then i just kept going with it
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
Like Nick Saban. Because then I made it. Like they built a statue of me because I won so many games and championships. Yeah. That's what I want. But I was totally missing it. Because if you ask me that now, what do you want? You know what I want? I want to be a really good dad. I want to be a really good boss, a really good friend, a really good neighbor. The other stuff happens with the wins.
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
That's fine. But I was so focused on that that it controlled everything. I just slept at the office all week long because we had to win. That's all that matters. Like John Daly used to sleep at a Hooters. Yeah, that was a little different. Yeah, that's true. He didn't work there. It's not like he was, you know, working on chipping and hooters.
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
Yeah. I think John Daly still goes to Hooters for the John Daly two-hour signing special. I love JD, by the way. He's awesome. He's awesome.
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
Okay. Okay. So anyway, so that's where this failure came in because it was like, okay, if you're going to put all, if this is the most important thing to you, then I like look back and shoot, no wonder like I ended up getting divorced. No wonder that, you know, I ended up having a straining relationship with my kids.
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
And then I kind of figured this out later on and started going, okay, wait, wait, wait a second.
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
this is just part of who i am you know being a coach and then i started to work on the other areas of my life um got sober from a lot of things really um just not just physical sober like stop drinking but like emotionally sober you know like and that's still a constant battle like working on that like and things not making me go way up way down like every day but and people say okay well what do you do you don't drink like what do you do like thursday and i was like
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
And what's replaced that is like amazing, like going to dinner with Landry or watch a movie with her friends. Like, you know, like you just, I just had this shift and it really helped me. And actually I'm a better coach out of it, which you wouldn't think would be like, cause you think, okay, well, if you put everything into it.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
But then you lose balance and you're just kind of off and everything is so defined on a win or loss that, like, it's everything. I remember, like, losing a really, really important game. And I remember at the time, like, seeing why she's like, and I'm like, I don't want to wake up. We actually lost to USC, we lost to Texas.
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
We were in our third straight national championship and lost in the Rose Bowl National Championship. Vince Young, couldn't tackle him. And I'm like, I don't wanna wake up tomorrow. She said, what is wrong with you? We had one kid at the time, Landry. And she's like, you have a kid, like you have a whole life. We lost the game, third straight national championship.
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
How long is it going to take to ever get there again?
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
But I was just so out of whack on that because that's, I mentioned earlier that the ego had gotten so big when I became a head coach and all the money and success and attention that like it just built and like you got to keep feeding it. And so it's really been cool to get out of that spot. Yeah. And what do you attribute to helping you get out of it? Probably lifestyle change.
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
You know, I came to Mississippi and decided like, okay, I started eating more food, not working out. Like, and I just was like, man, I'm not the best version of myself. I didn't have this like rock bottom moment, you know, that people have. Sometimes I just was like, man, I don't,
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
really like this lower version of myself i want to be the highest version of myself so i changed my diet i stopped the alcohol i started working out um and really what i started to do is to pour into other people instead of just pouring into myself dang coach you're making me feel bad about my life bro you You're younger than me. You're still good there.
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
Like I, that's a daily battle. God boy. And I really got on this after the physical sobriety after a couple of years of, okay, well, okay. I got really healthy working out all the time and don't drink, but it was like, okay. But I still was letting people situations like, man, well that, that went my way. So everything's good. Yeah. You know, like, oh, that didn't go that way.
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
We lose that recruit or have an argument with this person. And like, everything's terrible. And I was like, man. And I had somebody tell me like, remember the tide goes in and out every day. Like it's going to, and like, do you just get freaked out by that? Or are you just like, Hey, the tide came in, tide went out. And so I really try to do that. Cause like I'll do the yoga.
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
Everything's good, man. And then I'll come in here and then, this player has this issue, you know, or a kid has this issue, you know, and then it's like, or this doesn't go this way. Especially like, if you're like me, which I feel like you are from your last answer, when somebody doesn't do what you want them to do. Like, wait, everything would be good, man. If he just wouldn't say that.
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
Sorry, and I'll believe this. If she does this, if he does that, and they do that, I'll be good.
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
Or I did this and then they don't deal. And then they don't act how I want them to act after what I did. Yeah. Haven't I shared with you? Yeah. But there is a major problem that when you become and you're in charge of a company, you're a head coach, you know, like, and all the people are working for you. So your whole day, they really are doing what you want.
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
And then now in your personal life outside of it, maybe somebody doesn't do what you want and then you lose your mind. That's where I was off with the emotional part. You know, and had to like work on that part. Yeah.
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
Yeah. So my daughter goes to school here. Okay. And she's a sophomore. She's a sophomore. Okay. My other daughter's going to college at USC. And then my son is moving here. He's actually on a spring break here right now. And he's moving here next month. And he's going to go to Oxford high. He is. Nice. Yeah.
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
and he plays football too or no he does yeah yeah he's um he's quarterback he's got a chance to be good um so that'll be exciting to be able to watch all his games here and he's always up here working out with his buddies so oh that's going to be great just to be around that much that many other players and stuff it's awesome i was my dad was a coach i grew up as a coach's kid that to be around those locker rooms and to be around those players and to learn from them it's it's it's so awesome and so motivating
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
Amazing. So he passed in July. And was he sick? Was he pretty sick at the end of his life? He had dementia. And so he slowed down a lot. But here's what's really cool. You know, just saying like the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. Like we probably have the pain of regret from things we weren't disciplined at in life.
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
You know, if you look back, man, if I would have done that or like I would have gotten
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
know made different decisions so now you have the pain of the regret of that yeah well i think a lot of times people with parents sometimes like when they pass you know they have the pain of regret man we should have been around them more i didn't go to see him well my dad worked for me all the way up until then at 84. so all these last three stops he was here in the building helping us coach.
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
So every day I would see him 15 times a day. And he was such a coach that like, even his doctors would say that was keeping him alive because he could come into the office every day. He was 84 years old with dementia, still coming in the office. And he just was like, he was the ultimate coach, the old school coach. And so I got to be with him every day all the way up.
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
So because of that, of bringing him to all the places, making sure he was at work every day and everything like-
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
Yeah, but that's where I've gotten to like, who knows what's supposed to be perfect? What I thought, what we thought as a plan should be, I was like totally off. You know, like I've been like, there's no way I'm going to like want to move to Oxford, Mississippi, have my kid go to college here, have my other kid go to high school here and love it. And now I do.
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
And who would have thought they would have ever wanted to come here? Like, it's like, you know, God's plan obviously makes a lot more sense than ours. Because every time I take that and I'm like, wait, wait, wait, wait, maybe he wants it. Let me turn that over here.
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
My way. This is what I want to happen. Like, these people need to do this. I need to go here. I need to get that job. Let me control everything. Yes. Yeah. And then it just doesn't work. It really doesn't. And then when I just, which is hard, when I just let go and just let it go and whatever's going to happen is going to happen. And that tide's going to come in and it's going to go out.
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
Told you, the people here are amazing. God, that was great. There's nothing as good as SEC football. Because it's like when the plays work, it's like a video game for me. I feel like I'm playing a video game on the sideline. So think like when you're playing a video game, you throw your controller. That's really what I'm doing. It's still the kid in me right there.
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
You know, like throw my clipboard like your controller.
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
I would say the Twitter is probably closer to it. You know, people that are around me all the time and stuff say like, what was out there early on, especially about me or what people think really isn't what he is. And you probably hear that a lot, but yeah. So I feel like Twitter is more actually how I am just kind of, okay, that's funny.
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
Yeah. Yeah. I think that like they can do it. Like these things happen, you know, in life, these major obstacles that seem so horrible at the time, a divorce, firings, maybe you have a health scare, like these things that seem so terrible and they're really not, they just feel like it in the moment and they're going to pass and you're going to actually look back later on and be glad for them.
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#575 - Lane Kiffin
Like, My kind of major thing was I got fired as a head coach at USC and like my career is over. Well, if that wouldn't happen, I wouldn't have gotten to work for Nick Saban for three years. You know, so like whatever those things are or- Yeah, your career's been over like four times. Yeah, that you can do it. And it's actually-
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
Feels way better than like, let's say you come out, like I came up and got a lot of breaks because my dad and stuff. And so it's like, OK, I got to the top. OK, well, that felt good. But then to actually have it torn down and all taken away, some by circumstance, some by your own decisions. and rebuild from the bottom personally and professionally, it feels so much better.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
It's like instead of buying the house, you build the house from the beginning. And so just for people that are struggling in whatever one of those areas may be, like you can do it, but don't get overwhelmed. Like it really is... One day at a time. Like, hey, just start working out today, you know, or stop drinking today, you know, or start being a better person today. Whatever those areas are.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
Yeah, just today. Just today, man. Because the other stuff's overwhelming. We don't know what's going to happen next week or next month or next year. And just be really good at it today.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
Zoom out. Yeah. Zoom out. Watching my dad pass in the last couple years of dementia, but also watching him on what was important to him. He'd been a head coach. He'd been fired. He'd been through all these. It didn't matter. Like whatever that is right now that you're struggling with. you're going to look back toward him like, what was I even like losing sleep for or having anxiety about that for?
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
It really ain't that big. If you zoom out to later on, you're going to look back and be like, man, that wasn't a big deal. I'm glad it happened.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
Yeah. Excited for your show tonight. We'll be there and our whole team's coming actually. Yeah. The whole team's coming. Yeah. Yeah. We told them in the team, we had a team meeting today and said, we're going, we're going tonight. We're like, we got you in free. So like, yes, cause we don't have any money. We're like, wait, you make like a million dollars.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
I'll just like say that or send that out, you know, like, and so I'm not an old school coach and, many regards at all, just because I think you should always evolve. You should always not do things because it was in a book of how to do it before and always kind of test things. You know, like around here, we say, you know, instead of just thinking outside the box, we create a new box.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
Like these guys know, but they still, they still just want something for free.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
We told him you're really funny and free. Cause I was something to know you are.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
We challenge everything, different ways of thinking things. So and social media is part of that because that's not or how I do a press conference or even doing this. probably be some coaches that even if they, if you did call them up for this, they wouldn't do it because it's okay. Well, that's not really the message I want to put out, you know? Yeah. Yeah.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
I mean, that should be like a no brainer. That's what I'm thinking in state. I mean, you got to have amazing, like Louisiana following positive numbers. I don't know how they track that, but it's gotta be amazing. I mean, you're one of them.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
As a head coach, you got a lot of people that you've got to please. Right. And that's challenging in these type of settings and these things because you want to talk to recruits in that age group, your current players, your fans, but then you also have administration. You've got, old donors that have been around a long time, seen things done a certain way for a long time.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
So there's a lot of challenges in that. And you can't please everybody, which, you know, so I've kind of, right or wrong, I've always said, hey, my job is to wherever I'm working at, meaning my job is to Ole Miss. And not to potential future presidents or ADs at other places or other fan bases.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
And so whether I was at Tennessee or USC or here, wherever I was, it was like, okay, a lot of what I say other fans don't like. Maybe even other athletic directors are like, well, I don't like that he said that.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
But our own fans, our own administration really like it because it's usually me backing Ole Miss and saying what I think about the program, what it should be, and maybe sometimes taking shots at other programs or something like that. Yeah.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
factual information blatantly you know and putting it out there and so that that upsets some people and upsets um a lot of other fan bases well that's not my job to worry about them yeah yeah you have one fan base yeah they they're not they didn't hire me they're not paying the bills so um i've always looked at and i think a lot of coaches don't do that and i'm not saying i'm right
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
A lot of coaches say, hey, I'm going to say things so that future employers potential that they see it. So then they're going to want to hire me. And I've just never thought that way. Do you.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
Well, I think, you know, I was, as you mentioned, head coach of Tennessee, then office coordinator at Alabama. So I spent some time there. And those programs really over a long period of time had won a lot of games. Alabama, unbelievable championship runs, Coach Saban, probably a decade there that's never going to be done ever again. Too many wins, I think, for a school.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
Not good for a competitive environment throughout the conference when he was taking all the players and winning all the games. And Ole Miss had been down. Somebody said a stat the other day, in the last four years, so the seniors in college here, it's been a cool experience for them. They saw a national championship in baseball. They just saw both basketball teams go to the Sweet 16.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
And in four years of football here, we've had three top 12 finishes. Well, they only had one in the previous 51 years. Wow. So there's been four in 55 years. They've seen three of the four. So the difference, obviously, in the programs was different, but I really liked that. It was like a challenge because you can come in at the top of a place that's kind of always won, and then you win.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
It's like, okay, versus, wow, let's change what's happened. Let's create a new winning culture, a new way of thinking about in how the locker room and the whole university thinks about football and the program. And so we've raised the expectations to where we won 10 games and people are upset around here, you know? Right. And so.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
Yeah, we played 13 games. 10 of them, we won by double digits. And then the three losses were all one score games right at the end of the game.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
Yeah, I don't think it exists anymore. It's like Pac-2 now.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
It was like, it was eight at one point and it was 10 and it was 12. Some of those teams should not have been in there.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
You know, there's a saying like in the SEC day coin, like it just means more. And it really does. Like the passion in the towns for the football programs, the attention on it, and really the play over time has been dominant. The SEC's had more draft picks, more championships, all those things. It's just different. It's a way of life down here. Oh, yeah.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
I was the head coach at USC. You spend time out in LA. So it's just a different world out there. And I remember I was walking through campus and I was like, Man, I bet like 50, 70% of these students have no idea who I am. I'm the head coach of the football team. They got no idea who I am. They just, they're going to school at USC, you know, getting their education. Yeah.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
And like here, that like, like 100% know who you are. You know, like the little kids, like the, you know, you go to like walk downtown and like a four-year-old's like, Coach Kiffin. Like, they know who you are. So it's like... They'll complain about your play calling you. For people that haven't been down here, maybe that makes sense to them, like, to understand that.
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
You know, like, you don't go anywhere without everybody knowing who you are, but also like that, too. You know, kids will be like, yeah, they're like, eight-year-old kid, maybe not four, they just say, go to hell, Kevin. But eight-year-old, well, we've been winning, so don't say that. But that'll happen as soon as we lose a couple. Yeah. But no, they do. They'll be like...
This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
#575 - Lane Kiffin
Coach, man, like, what about throwing that tight end on the in route? I'm like, you're like eight. Like, how do you, how do you know that? Yeah, it's 11 a.m.