The long wait is over – Lane Kiffin has reached a conclusion regarding his career.
Following a sustained period of intense public interest and internal deliberation regarding his future, and after a Saturday devoid of any official declaration, Kiffin has now formally agreed to take on the role of head coach at LSU.
Kiffin recently concluded his sixth year with Ole Miss. The Rebels boast an impressive 11-1 record and are strong contenders for a spot in the College Football Playoff after their victory against Mississippi State on Friday. In contrast, LSU finished with a 7-5 record after their defeat to Oklahoma on Saturday.
In his statement acknowledging his departure, Kiffin expressed his wish to remain with the Rebels for the postseason, but this request was reportedly denied by the university. He also stated that Ole Miss players had voiced their desire for him to continue as head coach even after his commitment to LSU.
“After careful consideration and consultation with my family, I’ve made the difficult decision to accept the head coaching position at LSU,” Kiffin stated.
“My hope was to complete a memorable six-season journey with this year’s team by guiding Ole Miss through the playoffs, capitalizing on the team’s remarkable achievements and their determination to finish strong, and dedicating myself fully to a playoff run with measures in place to safeguard the program in all areas of concern. My request to do so was turned down by [Ole Miss athletic director] Keith Carter, despite the team’s plea to allow me to continue coaching them, enabling them to maintain their high level of performance. Sadly, this means that Friday’s Egg Bowl was my final game as the Rebels’ coach.
“While I am eager for a fresh start and a unique opportunity at LSU, I will forever value the extraordinary six years I spent at Ole Miss and will be a dedicated supporter of the team’s pursuit to achieve their goals and bring a championship to Oxford.”
During his six seasons at Ole Miss, Lane Kiffin amassed a record of 55-19. (Randy J. Williams/Getty Images)
(Randy J. Williams via Getty Images)
As Saturday progressed without any announcement from Kiffin, it became increasingly apparent that he was likely destined for LSU. The university even arranged for two planes to be sent to Oxford on Saturday evening to transport Kiffin and his family on Sunday.
Defensive coordinator Pete Golding will step in as the Rebels’ next permanent head coach. Despite public endorsements from media figures and television personalities in recent days advocating for Kiffin to coach the Rebels in the postseason while simultaneously transitioning to LSU, and the coach himself expressing a desire to do so, this scenario was never deemed realistic.
The two universities share a long-standing rivalry. Furthermore, Kiffin has previously encountered difficulties in balancing two roles during the postseason. He was appointed as Florida Atlantic’s head coach at the conclusion of the 2017 season and was expected to remain with Alabama until the end of the Tide’s season. However, Nick Saban relieved Kiffin of his duties at Alabama before the Crimson Tide’s national title game appearance.
According to audio recordings and details from the meeting between Ole Miss and its players on Sunday afternoon, obtained by Yahoo Sports, Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter informed the players that the school’s offensive coaching staff would remain in Oxford. The players reportedly cheered upon the introduction of Golding as their head coach.
Promoting Golding also spared Ole Miss the task of conducting an external search. As Kiffin’s decision lingered on Sunday, other SEC teams filled their coaching vacancies. Florida is appointing Tulane’s Jon Sumrall as its next coach, Auburn has hired South Florida’s Alex Golesh, and Arkansas has secured Memphis coach Ryan Silverfield.
Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz and Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea also signed extensions with their respective universities over the Thanksgiving holiday. They had been identified as potential candidates for positions elsewhere in the SEC.
[Stay updated with Rebels football news: Ole Miss team feed]
Kiffin’s coaching decision has been a matter of public discussion in recent weeks, reaching its peak in mid-November when family members visited both Gainesville and Baton Rouge on consecutive days while Kiffin considered the opportunity with Florida. Kiffin repeatedly stated that he would not comment publicly on the coaching search, but it has become a prominent storyline late in the season.
“We are thrilled to welcome Coach Kiffin as the next head coach of the LSU Football program,” LSU athletic director Verge Ausberry said in a statement announcing Kiffin’s hire. “We shared when we began this search that LSU would secure the best coach in the country and Lane Kiffin is just that. Lane is a proven winner who has thrived in an era of college athletics that requires coaches to adapt and innovate. His passion, creativity and authenticity make him the ideal leader to guide LSU into the future and consistently position us among the sport’s elite.
“I want to welcome Lane and his family to Baton Rouge, and I’d like to thank our search committee, as well as our university and state leadership, for their critical support and counsel throughout this process.”
While both the Gators and Tigers have historically achieved greater success than Ole Miss, which has not won an SEC title in over 60 years, Kiffin has elevated the program above both schools in recent years. Ole Miss has recorded at least 10 wins in four of the last five seasons and will establish a school record for wins in a single season with just one more victory.
This success has coincided with Kiffin’s emergence as a leading coach in utilizing the transfer portal, and Ole Miss has become one of the top schools in the nation in modernizing its NIL budget, making it an appealing destination for both transfers and recruits. The Rebels’ starting quarterback, Trinidad Chambliss, is a transfer from Division II Ferris State, and RB Kewan Lacy, the second-leading rusher in the SEC, is a transfer from Missouri.
Golding, whose wife is an Ole Miss alumna and a member of the school’s faculty, has been at Ole Miss for the past three seasons, having joined the program after spending five seasons as Alabama’s defensive coordinator.
