Lane Kiffin leaves Ole Miss for LSU in college football coaching shakeup

The Lane Kiffin drama came to an end on Sunday as the Ole Miss Rebels head football coach announced he was leaving the school to take the LSU Tigers’ job.

Kiffin came off a win against Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl rivalry game on Friday afternoon. He said he had a lot of praying to do before making the decision, which was initially expected to be made on Saturday. But Kiffin reportedly had meetings with athletic director Keith Carter and school chancellor Glenn Boyce through the night.

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Ole Miss Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin during the game against the Oklahoma Sooners at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on Oct. 25, 2025. (Kevin Jairaj/Imagn Images)

He met with the team in the afternoon before the decision was officially announced, according to multiple reports. He will not coach the team in the College Football Playoff.

“After a lot of prayer and time spent with family, I made the difficult decision to accept the head coaching position at LSU,” Kiffin said in a statement.

“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. 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.

“While I am looking forward to a new start with a unique opportunity at LSU, I will forever cherish the incredible six years I spent at Ole Miss and will be rooting hard for the team to complete their mission and bring a championship to Oxford.”

Defensive coordinator Pete Golding is reportedly expected to be named the head coach at Ole Miss.

Kiffin has been the hottest coaching target in college football with multiple jobs open. He’s been linked to the LSU and Florida jobs. The Tigers parted ways with Brian Kelly, and the Gators split from Billy Napier in the middle of the year. Both openings are at schools considered to be the gold standard when it comes to the sport.

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Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin looks on during warmups prior to the game against the Florida Gators at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on Nov. 15, 2025. (Petre Thomas/Imagn Images)

However, Kiffin has turned the Rebels into a college football national championship contender this year. Ole Miss’ 11 wins this season are the most in school history, and the Rebels have done so twice under Kiffin.

Kiffin took over an Ole Miss program that was 4-8 in Matt Luke’s final season. He’s notched at least 10 wins at Ole Miss in four of the six years he’s been at the helm.

Kiffin has already come under fire in the past for leaving places on a whim, specifically taking the USC job in 2010 after only one season with Tennessee.

Mississippi head coach Lane Kiffin reacts to an official’s call during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Mississippi State, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025, in Starkville, Mississippi. (Rogelio V. Solis/AP Photo)

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With the Rebels likely securing a spot in the College Football Playoff, it’s hard to fathom that Kiffin will be leaving the school he helped rebuild into a powerhouse.

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