LSU AD Knows Clear Difference Between Lane Kiffin And Brian Kelly

The LSU Tigers knew they needed to make a change to the football program. Organizationally, the fall from grace was not one expected, but was also easily fixable given the right hire.

That change started with Lane Kiffin, poaching him from conference rivals the Ole Miss Rebels. The changes, though, didn't stop there, as Verge Ausberry was promoted to the athletic director, and would be responsible for the rebuild of the program.

For Ausberry, who was with the program under previous head coach Brian Kelly, it's a night and day difference in how the two coaches operate, according to an interview he did with USA Today.

How Kiffin is A Better Fit for LSU

LSU Tigers Head Coach Lane Kiffin — Louisiana State Tigers head coach Lane Kiffin, left, stands next to Louisiana State Tigers athletic director Verge Ausberry, right, prior to the game against the Houston Cougars at NRG Stadium. | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

For the Tigers, college football in Louisiana is one of the most important events for everyone living there, second only to the New Orleans Saints. With a plethora of boosters and regular fans willing to donate to the NIL fund to bring a national championship to Baton Rouge, fundraising should be easy in town.

Unfortunately, for Ausberry and the Tigers, that wasn't necessarily the case under Kelly. The difference when Kiffin took over was stark, but also like a lifeline for a struggling program.

“He’s not one who’ll say, ‘OK, I don’t want people to contact me. I don’t want people to touch me. I don’t want people to be around me," Ausberry said of Kiffin after he took over. "That’s who we had. That’s why we got what we got. There was no feel, there was no connection between the LSU football program, the coach, and the fans.”

Perhaps the biggest difference was the amount of alumni surrounding the program. For the Tigers, who have become one of the best programs at developing players for the NFL, there was a lack of former talent around the school.

Seemingly, that wasn't because of belief in the program, but rather due to a lack of choice. Camaraderie for the Tigers has always been a selling point for the school, as even after moving to the next level, past players always have a spot to come back to.

For the Tigers, a regime change was needed, and in their hopes that it would bring more wins to the program, it's already brought back past players. The book is still open on what Kiffin will truly do in the role, but Ausberry is already a fan of the direction it's heading now.

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