"They grabbed me off the bus": Lane Kiffin reveals truth behind infamous tarmac firing story from USC days
On a Friday interview on The Pivot Podcast, Lane Kiffin recalled how he was fired from USC on 2013. Kiffin was infamously fired by the Trojans on the tarmac of the Los Angeles International Airport hours after losing 62-41 against Arizona State despite the USC Trojans having a 3-2 overall record at the time.
On Friday, the now Ole Miss coach said about that moment (8:10):
"As was getting off (The plane) to go on the bus I was going back, it was 3:00 in the morning I was going back to the office just to sleep at the office to start on the next game plan next week, and then they grabbed off the bus and said 'The AD wants to meet with you' in you know the private airport right there by the tarmac, and so we went in there, and that's where it happened," said Kiffin describing the incident.
Kiffin would go on to become an offensive coordinator for Alabama the next season and wouldn't return to head coaching duties until 2017 with Florida Atlantic. He wouldn't return to Power Five football until 2020, when he took over the job at Ole Miss.
Lane Kiffin on Nico Iamaleava's decision to leave Tennessee
On his latest presser, Lane Kiffin was asked about the Nico Iamaleava situation and the quarterback's decision to leave the Tennessee program.
For Lane Kiffin, on what happened aren't known yet, so he isn't willing to crucify Iamaleava (1:00):
"I don’t think it’s really fair to take shots at him when all the facts and details of the situation aren’t out there and seem to be more in favor of the program side. We’re able to have a big voice as a program when a kid leaves or something because we get much more access to the media and controlling the message than the kid does."
"I don’t know the details in that. So, I think it’s a little bit unfair what’s going on, especially because I hear the other side that those details that are out there are not accurate."
Imaleava is on the transfer portal, allegedly on the search for a better NIL deal than the one he had signed with Tennessee. When he joined the Volunteers, Iamaleava signed an $8 million NIL deal with the school's collective.