Lane Kiffin has already avoided making the mistakes that cost Brian Kelly

At this time last week, all eyes were on Lane Kiffin and whether or not he'd remain at Ole Miss or if he would take the LSU job. Less than a week later, Lane Kiffin has already taken the LSU job, and he's having an incredible start to his time in the role. Kiffin has already gone through the Early Signing period and hired his first staff, giving the fanbase plenty to judge him on.

Lane Kiffin will be compared to Brian Kelly more than anyone else, as the two hirings are very similar, while Lane follows Kelly's time in Baton Rouge. If LSU fans are comparing the way both have started in the program, Kiffin is clearly off to the best start, as he certainly learned from Brian Kelly's mistakes.

Lane Kiffin's first week on the job is proving to be the change LSU needed

When Brian Kelly took the LSU job, it was clear that he wasn't trying to follow the LSU blueprint; rather, he was trying to do things his own way. When Kelly took the job, he let some key coaches leave, including Defensive Backs coach Corey Raymond and Linebackers coach Blake Baker. The decisions proved to be costly for Brian Kelly on the field as LSU's defense was abysmal and financially when LSU had to hire them back to fix the defense.

As Lane Kiffin took over the job, the most important task for him was retaining the defensive staff as he brought his OC, Charlie Weis Jr, and his staff from Ole Miss with him. Blake Baker didn't make it easy, as he was a top candidate for the Tulane job, but on Friday Night, Baker decided to stick with the Tigers.

Retaining Blake Baker was the most important factor for Lane Kiffin's success early, and with Baker on the staff, everything becomes clearer. Baker's return made it easy for Kiffin to retain the full defensive staff, headlined by legendary defensive backs coach Corey Raymond.

In his first week on the job, Lane Kiffin is showing that he gets the LSU job more than Brian Kelly ever did. Kiffin has kept the pillars of the staff in place, as Corey Raymond can recruit any defensive back he wants, while Blake Baker has proven twice at LSU that he's an elite coach and recruiter.

The only task for Lane Kiffin now is finding a way to keep Running Backs coach Frank Wilson on the staff. Wilson is the most important recruiter for the Tigers as his relationships in Louisiana allow the Tigers to take full advantage of being the lone Power 4 program in the state.