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The Lane Kiffin drama came to an end on Sunday when 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 prayer to do before making the decision, which was initially expected to be made on Saturday. But Kiffin reportedly met with athletic director Keith Carter and school chancellor Glenn Boyce overnight.
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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 October 25, 2025. (Kevin Jairaj/Image Images)
He met with the team the afternoon before the decision was officially announced, according to multiple reports. He will not coach the team in the College Football Playoffs.
“After much prayer and time spent with my 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 commitment to finishing strong, and investing everything in 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 even though the team also asked him to allow me to continue coaching them so they could better maintain their high level of performance. Unfortunately, that means Friday’s Egg Bowl was my last game as coach the rebels.
“While I look forward to a new beginning with a unique opportunity at LSU, I will always cherish the incredible six years I spent at Ole Miss and will be a strong supporter of the team completing its mission and bringing a championship to Oxford.”
Defensive coordinator Pete Golding is expected to be named Ole Miss head coach.
Kiffin has been the most popular coaching target in college football with multiple jobs available. He has been linked to jobs at LSU and Florida. The Tigers parted ways with Brian Kelly and the Gators parted ways with Billy Napier midway through the year. Both vacancies are at schools considered the gold standard when it comes to the sport.
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Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin watches during pregame warmups against the Florida Gators at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on Nov. 15, 2025. (Petre Thomas/Image 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 it twice under Kiffin.
Kiffin took over an Ole Miss program that went 4-8 in Matt Luke’s final season. He has had at least 10 wins at Ole Miss in four of the six years he has been at the helm.
Kiffin has been criticized in the past for leaving spots on a whim, specifically for accepting the USC job in 2010 after just 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. Solís/AP Photo)
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With the Rebels likely to clinch a spot in the College Football Playoffs, it’s hard to imagine Kiffin leaving the school he helped rebuild into a powerhouse.
