Lane Monte Kiffin is an American football coach
Lane Monte Kiffin is an American football coach who is the incoming head football coach at Louisiana State University. He served as the head coach of the Oakland Raiders from 2007 to 2008, the University of Tennessee in 2009, USC from 2010 to 2013, Florida Atlantic from 2017 to 2019, and Ole Miss from 2020 to 2025
With Kiffin off to LSU and defensive USA coordinator Pete Golding elevated to interim, Dinich said the CFP selection committee is permitted to factor in coaching availability when finalizing the 12-team bracket.
The program decided to move from Kiffin as soon as possible.
Kiffin announced Sunday that he had USA accepted the LSU head coaching job, ending a six-year run in USA Oxford amid the Rebels' 11-1 season and No. 7 ranking. His exit comes with Ole Miss on the cusp of a historic playoff berth, and after a weekend in which it became clear he had been weighing a move even as the Rebels pushed for a spot in the expanded postseason.
Golding will now serve as the full-time head coach moving forward after Kiffin's request to stay on through the playoffs was denied by athletics director Keith Carter. Kiffin said both he and the team hoped he could finish the year, but the program opted to move ahead with new leadership for the postseason stretch.
After weeks of speculation and rumors, the man who had been in charge of the Ole Miss Rebels for the past six seasons, Lane Kiffin, has finally announced that he is taking his talents down to the bayous of Louisiana to become the new head coach of the LSU Tigers. Kiffin made the announcement himself via a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, and it’s being reported that his contract with the Tigers will be good for roughly $12 to $13 million per year for the next seven years.
It’s enough to ensure that Kiffin will be one of, if not the, highest paid coaches in the history of college football. According to the man himself, however, it wasn’t the dollar amount that lured him to Baton Rouge, but rather the advice of his mentor and Super Bowl-winning head coach, Pete Carroll.
“I was hoping to complete a historic six season run with this year’s team by leading Ole Miss through the playoffs, capitalizing on the team’s incredible success and their commitment to finish strong, and investing everything into a playoff run with guardrails in place to protect the program in any areas of concern,” Kiffin wrote.
“My request to do so was denied by Keith Carter despite the team also asking him to allow me to keep coaching them so they could better maintain their high level of performance. Unfortunately, that means Friday’s Egg Bowl was my last game coaching the Rebels.”
Kiffin will leave the Rebels with an 11-1 record and a viable path to the national championship, but they’ll have to make it there on their own. The program’s athletic director, Keith Carter, denied Kiffin’s request to finish out the season as the head coach of Ole Miss, and has instead decided to immediately install Pete Golding, their former defensive coordinator, as the next head coach of the Rebels.
Throw in the fact that LSU was bad enough to justify firing their own head coach, Chip Kelly, halfway through the season, and it’s been hard for many to understand what exactly it is, apart from money, that Kiffin could possibly see in this program. In the eyes of the 50-year-old play caller, however, this was a “family decision” rather than a football one.
“It’s just something that I prayed on,” Kiffin informed Smith. “Maybe it’s right, maybe it’s wrong, but I think, a lot of the time, you just go prove things right. And that’s what we’re going to do when we get there.”
By the time you’ve read this, Kiffin’s plane will have already touched down in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He’ll have presumably dove right into meetings and recruitment planning, but it’s going to take a lot of work to make the nation forget about this one.
This entire debacle has already managed to take the spotlight off of the failure’s of Kelly and this 2025 LSU roster, so at least in that sense, Kiffin’s hiring has already been a success for the program. While only time can tell as to whether or not he will actually return to the Tigers to their former glory, he’s got them back to where they want to be, in the national spotlight, and that’ll likely keep them content for now.
Triston Drew Cook is the NFL Journalist at The SportsRush. With a bachelor's degree in professional writing, Drew has been covering the NFL and everything that comes with it for over three years now. A journalist who's provided work for Sports Illustrated and GiveMeSport, Drew predominantly focuses his reporting on the world of football
Lane Kiffin's six-year stint at Ole Miss came to a tumultuous end on Sunday. The former Rebels boss spurned Oxford for Baton Rouge, signing a seven-year, $84 million deal to coach SEC rival LSU effective immediately.
The nature of Kiffin's abrupt exit is all too familiar for the 50-year-old tactician. Widely regarded as one of football's finest minds, Kiffin has attracted plenty of admirers across his career. That has put him at odds with his employers at different points -- from the scorched earth sacking he endured at the hands of Al Davis and the Raiders in 2008 to his contentious decision to leave Tennessee for USC in 2010, Kiffin has lived on the edge.
Still, his latest pilgrimage might have taken the cake for his wackiest departure left. Kiffin endured his fair share of jeers as he walked on an Oxford tarmac before heading to his newest home. He also spoke with ESPN's Marty Smith briefly -- his first public comments since making the controversial move.
Here's what you need to know about Kiffin's thoughts on his high-profile exit.
Lane Kiffin interview
Kiffin was interviewed by Smith right before boarding the plane to Baton Rouge. He begins by saying that it was a very challenging, and difficult day. Kiffin mentions that they went "through a lot last night" trying to "make the playoff run work." He says he totally respects the decision and he understands why he can't coach the Rebels through the playoffs. Kiffin wished the team the best of luck.
When asked what drew the decision out, Kiffin responded, "it was really difficult. this has been a really special place. six years here." He brings up his dad's death and referred to his father's ability to impact people wherever he was coaching. Kiffin then said that he "prayed a lot, made a family decision, and have the chance to go and impact a whole new set of people."
Kiffin says that he was not permitted to attend the meeting with the team on Sunday afternoon and again said he understood it.
When asked why LSU was the right choice for him, he said, "I talked to some mentors, coach Carroll [Pete] and coach Saban [Nick], especially when coach Carroll said 'your dad would tell you to go, take the shot.'" Kiffin continued, "I always hated how we only gave one year in Tennessee and left, I really hated that feeling. I think we gave a lot to this program and to this city. It just became time, I talked to God and he told me it's time to take a new step."
Kiffin released a statement via X Sunday afternoon, saying that his decision came “after a lot of prayer and time spent with family.” He went on to say that while he asked to coach the Rebels in the upcoming College Football Playoff, Ole Miss Athletic Director Keith Carter denied his request. Kiffin was also not allowed to attend a team meeting on Sunday afternoon.
During his six seasons in Oxford, the highly sought-after head coach amassed a 55-19 record, with four seasons of 10 wins or more.
A handful of former Ole Miss staff members are currently expected to follow Kiffin to LSU, according to Chris Hummer and Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports. These include offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr., general manager Billy Glasscock, wide receivers coach George McDonald, strength and conditioning coach Nick Savage, senior associate AD for football operations Thaddeus Rivers, co-offensive coordinator Joe Cox, linebackers coach Chris Kiffin, senior director of player personnel Mike Williams and inside wide receivers coach Sawyer Jordan.
Kiffin’s new deal with the Tigers is reportedly for seven years, with a salary of approximately $12 million per year. There is also a potential for bonuses.
Two planes carrying the Kiffin family and staff members departed University-Oxford Airport on Sunday afternoon, arriving in Baton Rouge around 5 p.m. CT. An introductory press conference is expected on Monday.
Meanwhile, Ole Miss has named defensive USA coordinator Pete Golding as the program’s 40th head coach. Golding has been part of the Rebels’ staff since 2023 and will lead the team in the postseason before turning his attention to 2026.
Ole Miss’ Athletic Department released the following statement from Golding.
“I would like to thank Keith Carter, Chancellor Boyce and the entire Ole Miss leadership team for placing their trust in me,” Golding said. “Oxford is home, and it’s an incredible honor to lead one of the nation’s premier programs, and I can’t wait to get to work immediately and prepare this team to win a national championship.
“Ole Miss Football is special. Since the day I arrived, I’ve felt the passion, pride and unwavering support of Rebel Nation. This is a place where expectations are high, and football is woven into the fabric of the community. Our mission moving forward is clear: we will play with toughness, discipline and relentless effort in everything we do. We will recruit at the highest level, develop our players on and off the field, and compete every single day to bring championships to Oxford. Most importantly, we will represent this university with class and integrity.“To the Ole Miss family, thank you for your support and belief. I’m excited for what’s ahead, and I can’t wait to attack this challenge together.”
Ole Miss now awaits its fate regarding the College Football Playoff. The Rebels are currently projected to host a first-round game in Oxford on either December 19th or December 20th.Lane Kiffin's Ole Miss exit was as messy as it gets. The legendary coach wanted to lead the Rebels through the playoffs, but alleged that AD Keith Carter took away that opportunity. Carter, in response, issued a straight statement, further promoting defensive coordinator Pete Golding to head coach.However, now a leaked audio from Ole Miss' team meeting has surfaced. It features Carter breaking the news to players and introducing Golding as the new boss.Before entering that meeting, players were required to hand over their phones, according to reporting by On3’s Pete Nakos. Even so, audio from the gathering leaked shortly afterward. In the recording, Carter briefly ceded the floor to chancellor Glenn Boyce, who praised the team for staying focused amid the noise.
Posted on 2025/12/01 08:57 AM