Lane Kiffin Skips “College GameDay” as Key LSU Moves Take Center Stage
ATLANTA - Lane Kiffin was supposed to be front and center on ESPN’s “College GameDay” ahead of the SEC Championship, but the newly minted LSU head coach had other pressing matters back in Baton Rouge. He canceled his scheduled appearance, later explaining via social media that he was “finishing some things out with players and a coach.”
Now we know what those “things” were - and they were anything but minor. Defensive coordinator Blake Baker, a pivotal piece of LSU’s defensive identity, opted to stay in Baton Rouge rather than take the head coaching job at Tulane. And perhaps even more significant in the long-term picture, Kiffin secured a commitment from University High’s Lamar Brown, the nation’s top-rated recruit.
In the world of college football, where timing is everything and momentum can swing with a single decision, those are two massive wins for Kiffin before he’s even coached a game in purple and gold.
Still, Kiffin’s absence didn’t keep his name out of the “GameDay” conversation. Host Rece Davis acknowledged the elephant not in the room, noting that there were plenty of questions they had lined up for Kiffin - questions that will now have to wait.
Davis also touched on the web of connections behind the scenes. Kiffin, Nick Saban, Desmond Howard, and Davis himself are all represented by Jimmy Sexton of CAA. That’s not just trivia - it’s a glimpse into the inner workings of coaching decisions and broadcast dynamics.
Saban, now part of the “GameDay” cast after his legendary runs at LSU and Alabama, played a role in Kiffin’s decision-making process. He didn’t tell Kiffin what to do - that’s not his style - but he offered the kind of perspective only someone with his résumé can provide.
“I get a lot of calls because some people view me as a senior professional,” Saban said. “So as a person, as a human being, you want to help everybody you can.”
Saban emphasized that his advice always starts with a simple but powerful question: “What do you want to do?” He’s not there to steer the ship - just to help coaches think through the storm.
“I never tell anybody what they should do,” Saban added. “I just try to bring some thought into it so they can make the best decision for their family and their future.”
According to Saban, Kiffin was “very confused” during the process - and that’s understandable. Leaving Ole Miss wasn’t a snap decision. There’s the loyalty to your players, the desire to finish what you started, and the pull of a new opportunity at a program like LSU that’s built to win big.
Saban’s been there - trying to balance postseason commitments with career-defining choices. It’s a tightrope walk, and Kiffin had to make that call in real time.
Pat McAfee, always one to keep things lively, admitted he was holding out hope that Kiffin would stay in Oxford. But even he couldn’t ignore the writing on the wall - or the recruits on the dotted line.
“You look at his recruiting right now,” McAfee said. “He’s got the No. 1 recruit in the country signing with him, meeting with him when he gets there.
He’s got the No. 1 defensive lineman in the country. He kept his defensive coordinator down there.
Everything he thought and envisioned happening at LSU, the reason he took the job, is coming to fruition.”
And that’s the bottom line. Kiffin didn’t show up to “GameDay” because he was too busy laying the foundation for what he hopes will be a championship-caliber era at LSU. With a top-tier staff, elite recruits already in the fold, and the full weight of LSU’s resources behind him, he’s not wasting any time.
The spotlight will find Kiffin soon enough. For now, he’s focused on building - and judging by these early moves, he’s off to a fast start.