“The Decision” — or, at least, “The Announcement” — took an extra day, some lengthy and reportedly tense discussions and an overload of media coverage.
But Lane Kiffin is officially leaving Ole Miss to take the reins of the LSU football program.
The highly coveted coach, in his sixth season leading the Rebels, and the Tigers both announced the move Sunday afternoon.
“I am incredibly honored to have the opportunity to lead the storied LSU football program,” Kiffin said. “From national championships to iconic players, LSU is synonymous with excellence and is among the most powerful brands in all of sports.
“I’m grateful to president (Wade) Rousse, (athletic director) Verge Ausberry and LSU’s leadership for placing their faith in me to lead this program. Our staff will recruit the very best student-athletes in the country — starting at home in the state of Louisiana — and will work tirelessly every day to bring championships that the LSU fans deserve. Geaux Tigers!”
LSU and newly promoted athletic director Verge Ausberry identified Kiffin early on as their priority in a coaching search to replace Brian Kelly, who was dismissed Oct. 26.
Despite heavy mutual interest and eventually even a tentative agreement in place, the process dragged on for weeks under a spotlight that escalated by the day as the coach pressed Ole Miss officials for the opportunity to finish out the season with his current team.
Kiffin has led the Rebels to a 55-19 record during its tenure — the sixth-winningest Power-Four program since 2020 — including this season marking the first 11-win regular season in program history and the first stretch of four 10-win seasons in a five-year span.
Ole Miss is positioned to earn its first College Football Playoff berth and would, as the rankings currently stand, host an opening-round matchup.
“After a lot of prayer and time spent with family, I made the difficult decision to accept the head coaching position at LSU,” he shared. “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 (athletic director) Keith Carter despite the team also asking him to allow me to keep coaching them so they could 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 rotting hard for the team to complete their mission and bring a championship to Oxford.”
Kiffin holds a career 117-53 record as a head coach, including leading Ole Miss to 10-plus wins in four of the past five seasons, a first stretch of its kind in its history, including this season marking its first-ever 11-win regular season.
The son of longtime, legendary NFL defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin earned his first head coaching opportunity in 2007 at just 31 years old with the then-Oakland Raiders after six years on staff at USC where he was increasingly regarded as one of the sport’s most promising young offensive minds.
Oakland fired the younger Kiffin early in his second season with the franchise, leading to a return to the college ranks where he headed programs at Tennessee in 2009, USC from 2010 to 2013, Florida Atlantic from 2017 to 2019 and then Ole Miss since 2020 and spent 2014 to 2016 as Alabama’s offensive coordinator under Nick Saban.
“We are thrilled to welcome coach Kiffin as the next head coach of the LSU football program,” Ausberry said. “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.”
