Lane Kiffin’s move from Ole Miss to LSU has drawn plenty of attention, but it has been seen as a major win for the Tigers. After Brian Kelly was fired, LSU fans strongly pushed for Kiffin, and their wishes were granted when he left the Rebels following a successful run.
Kiffin opted not to coach LSU in the Texas Bowl, as he is instead focused on reshaping the Tigers’ roster ahead of the upcoming season.
Frank Wilson Talks About Transitioning Away from Lane Kiffin-Led LSU
Kiffin did not retain interim coach/running backs coach Frank Wilson. Besides Wilson, Kiffin also decided not to retain former LSU coaches like defensive line coach Kyle Williams, offensive line coach Brad Davis, co-offensive coordinator coach Cortez Hankton, and run game coordinator/tight ends coach Alex Atkins.
Wilson has already accepted a new position at Ole Miss, joining Pete Golding’s staff as the Rebels’ running backs coach. However, he and the four other recently departed LSU coaches continued to coach the Tigers during bowl practices and in Saturday’s game against Houston.
Wilson spoke to the media on Friday ahead of the bowl game about his decision to leave LSU for Ole Miss shortly after Kiffin’s hiring.
“We talked about it,” Wilson said. “We talked about ways we could have worked it out. Coach Kiffin was absolutely awesome the entire time and wanted to find a way to make it work. We just didn’t come to that resolution. There were other opportunities.”
“Pete Golding was a guy I’ve known for many years… so when the opportunity came, he reached out to me, and I felt it was a great fit for myself and my family. Coach Kiffin was awesome. I have no problems with Coach Kiffin. He’s going to do an astounding job. He’s assembled a great staff, and he’ll do fantastic.”
Kiffin also shared his nod of approval to Wilson’s endorsement.
“#AlwaysLove 💙💜 @OleMissFB @LSUfootball,” Kiffin tweeted.
Besides Kiffin, the six offensive assistants he brought from Ole Miss will not coach LSU in the Texas Bowl. Instead, they remain with Ole Miss as the Rebels advanced past the first round of the College Football Playoff with a 41-10 win over Tulane on Dec. 20.
Ole Miss will face Kirby Smart’s Georgia in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1.
For Wilson, leaving LSU likely brings mixed emotions, as this marks the end of his second stint with the Tigers. He previously served as LSU’s running backs coach from 2010–2015 before returning as RB coach and associate head coach after Kelly was hired from Notre Dame (2021).
Wilson was vocal about his desire for LSU to finish the 2025 season on a strong note. The Tigers ended the regular season with a 7–5 record, ranking No. 39 in the PFSN College Football Playoff Meter.
