By GLENN GUILBEAU, Tiger Rag Editor
– An introvert.
– Aloof.
– Doesn’t always connect well with his players.
That is how new LSU football coach Lane Kiffin has been described throughout his coaching career by media members, media relations officials and other coaches.
“I’m still learning and getting to know him,” LSU associate athletic director of communications for football Michael Bonnette said on Tiger Rag Radio Tuesday night in a special 30-minute appearance. “We talk almost daily, either by text or in person. I was in his office twice today. He’s much different than what I thought.”
For Bonnette’s entire interview on Tiger Rag Radio, click the red box below:
“This guy is very thoughtful,” said Bonnette, who is breaking in his seventh head coach as LSU’s football sports information director since 2000 after Nick Saban (2000-04), Les Miles (2005-16), Ed Orgeron (2016-21), interim Brad Davis (2021), Brian Kelly (2022-25) and interim Frank Wilson (2025).
“He’s got a process,” Bonnette said, quoting a patented term by Saban, who remains a mentor of Kiffin’s after Kiffin was his offensive coordinator from 2014-16. “The way he engages with players is just really unique. The players just rally around him. I’ve watched him at spring practice and in the weight room and in meetings. He’s got a special, unique gift. And I think he owes a lot of that to having coached with Nick, but also a lot of that has to do with his dad.”
Kiffin’s father Monte Kiffin, who died at age 84 on July 11, 2024, was a journeyman college and NFL assistant throughout his career. But he became one of the greatest NFL defensive coordinators of all time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1996-2008 for developing the “Tampa 2” pass defense – a version of Cover 2.
“He talks about his dad a lot,” said Bonnette, who in turn discussed his father often during the radio interview.
Louis Bonnette was McNeese State’s sports information director for nearly 50 years and is a member of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in Natchitoches. Bonnette’s brother Matthew is now McNeese state’s sports information director.
“You see photos of his father in his office,” Bonnette said. “He speaks about him quite a bit. I’ve really been impressed with him and with watching him interact with the players. And I’m telling you, he’s a relentless recruiter. They’ve got something special going on recruiting-wise here. So, I think we’re just getting started here with him. I don’t know how many games we’ll win this year, but by the looks of what’s going on out there in the conditioning program and at spring practice, we’re going to be fast, big, strong. And from the first snap to the last one, we’re going to be a team that plays for four full quarters, I promise you that.”
WHY NO SAM LEAVITT AT SEC MEDIA DAYS?
Bonnett was prepared for a question about why new LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt – the No. 1 player in the portal after two seasons at Arizona State – will not be with Kiffin at the SEC Media Days a week from Thursday. LSU is bringing senior linebacker Whit Weeks, junior tight end Trey’Dez Green and senior Ole Miss transfer linebacker TJ Dottery.
“Ultimately, the coach signs off on it,” Bonnette said of the players taken to SEC Media Days each year. “We talked about it. Sam didn’t practice much during the spring. We felt like we had a good group to pick from. If we would’ve taken four, Sam would’ve been that fourth player. Looking back, Jayden Daniels didn’t go to SEC Media Days his first year at LSU. Joe Burrow didn’t go his first year. So, it’s not entirely out of the ordinary that we didn’t bring a first-year transfer quarterback.”
Leavitt’s mid-foot injury that required surgery last season and caused him to miss most of spring practice was part of the reasoning.
“He is fully recovered, but let’s protect him because – are a lot of the questions going to be about his injury and recovery?” Bonnette said.
He added that Weeks and Dottery have experience at SEC Media Days already, and Green “is in line for a special year.”
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