Lane Kiffin 'struggled' with criticism after Auburn overtures

OXFORD, Miss. — Lane Kiffin is confident he did the right thing by rebuffing overtures from Auburn to remain at Ole Miss, signing a long-term contract extension in late November.

But during an interview with ESPN on Friday, Kiffin said he felt conflicted with the criticism he received from some fans over how he handled the process, which took weeks to resolve.

«We screw up all the time,» he said. «But when you think you're doing the right thing and then you're really criticized for it — especially by your own people — I struggled with that because I feel like I went through a decision-making process that you're supposed to go through.

»I mean, you got to decide. It's your life and your family's life."

It was clear from the moment Auburn fired Bryan Harsin on Oct. 31 that Kiffin would be a top target in the Tigers' search.

But Kiffin took his time weighing the opportunity. And during that time, he didn't make any public statements that he wasn't going anywhere — a tactic he'd seen backfire with football coaches in the past who wound up going back on their word.

It wasn't until the night before the final game of the regular season against rival Mississippi State that Kiffin informed the team he was staying.

«I felt that it would have been a distraction to make this big statement 24 hours before the game and making it about me,» Kiffin said. «So, I thought I was doing the right thing by saying, 'OK, I'm going to avoid making this about me, you guys go play. But just so you know, you don't have to sit here and worry that your coach is leaving tomorrow after the game or something. I'm staying, I just haven't made it known publicly.'

»I told them thinking that's what obviously matters the most, and because we lost it wasn't