BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - Lane Kiffin opened his LSU tenure Monday by thanking his family and university leadership before moving quickly into questions about leaving Ole Miss, building a staff, and his vision for the Tigers.

Kiffin said the decision “was not an easy process,” but added, “This place is different… and that’s why we’re here.”

Why he left Ole Miss

Kiffin said the hardest part was walking away from a playoff-bound team.

“That was… excruciating and difficult,” he said. “We tried every possible thing for a long time the other night and into the morning.”

Kiffin said he appreciated that Ole Miss officials listened to his proposal to coach the Rebels through the College Football Playoff.

“We presented a plan… At the end of the day, that’s their decision. And I respect that.”

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