Retired Alabama head coach Nick Saban believes LSU's new head coach, Lane Kiffin, will face an incredibly hostile reception when he returns to Oxford to play Ole Miss in Week 3 of the upcoming 2026 college football season.
Speaking on Thursday's episode of the "Pat McAfee Show," Saban joked that Kiffin is poised to shatter his own personal "boo record." Saban recalled the intense backlash he faced from LSU fans when he returned to Baton Rouge as Alabama's head coach. He predicted that Kiffin's return to Ole Miss this year would easily surpass that hostile environment.
"One record I'm going to relinquish, which I'm a little bit disappointed about, is, when I went back to LSU after coming to Alabama, after being in Miami, and they hung me in effigy, burn me in effigy, the whole student section was there chanting FU Nick when I walked on the field with two hours to go before the game," Saban said. "That was a record for anybody coming back to a place that they had been before. Lane is going to break my boo record when he goes back to Ole Miss this year. That will be blown away. … Because, this will be such a big thing and we're going to be there to witness it. And I'm kind of looking forward at that."
Saban coached LSU from 2000 to 2004, winning a national championship during the 2003 season, before spending two seasons with the NFL's Miami Dolphins and ultimately building his legendary career at Alabama.
Kiffin, who spent six seasons with Ole Miss and compiled a 55-19 overall record, helped guide the Rebels to the 12-team playoffs last year. However, his decision to finalize a deal in November to become LSU's 34th head coach sparked significant backlash. Defensive coordinator Pete Golding took over the Rebels, who eventually lost to Miami in the Fiesta Bowl semifinals. Kiffin's collegiate coaching career also includes stints at Tennessee in 2009, USC from 2010 to 2013, and Florida Atlantic from 2017 to 2019.
In a separate interview with ESPN on Thursday, Kiffin opened up about his messy departure from Oxford, expressing regret over how he managed the transition. He admitted that he should have departed immediately rather than battling with Ole Miss Athletics Director Keith Carter to coach the team through the postseason.
"Yeah, I do," Kiffin told ESPN regarding his regrets. "But I think that's a good thing that I look at life that way now, instead of saying, 'No, I don't. I was right.' I look at things always now, like, how could I have done them better? But it's also easier when you're further removed. There's no emotion involved."
Kiffin added that he wished he had simply informed Carter of his decision to leave and moved on without further discussion. Kiffin's debut campaign with the Tigers is scheduled to begin with a Week 1 matchup against Clemson on September 5.
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