Lane Kiffin won’t be coaching Ole Miss in 2026, which was a scenario that seemed almost impossible just a year ago. However, it has happened, leaving Rebels fans with a moment they won’t soon forget.
Why Coaches Are Quietly Backing Lane Kiffin’s Exit from Ole Miss
Speaking on “That SEC Podcast,” Josh Pate shared insights from conversations with several coaches regarding Kiffin’s decision to leave Ole Miss for LSU.
“The ones I talked to said they would have done the same thing,” Pate said (0:40). “It was interesting because they said if I were Ole Miss, I would never let him stick around. But then they said, ‘If I were Lane, I would leave.’ And so I thought that was kind of hypocritical, but they said, ‘No, no, I’ve just put myself in different shoes.’ Like, if I were the AD there, I would do it this way. If I were the head coach there, I would do it this way. But then they all circled back, and that is not unfair.
“They would all circle back around to you, you’ve dealt with this, and thank your lucky stars if you haven’t. But there’s this group of people that wander the internet, and anytime you make a point, no matter how logical it is, that happens to defend a coach or happens to defend a coach’s point of view, they just accuse you of carrying water for the coaches. So, for me, in December, that looked like this: one camp was screaming shame on Lane Kiffin. There was another camp screaming, ‘Shame on Ole Miss. You should be in it for the players. You should let him coach as long as he wants to.’”
Kiffin coached his final game for Ole Miss on Nov. 28, which was a 38-19 win over Mississippi State, but the post-game atmosphere was tense, as fans and players sensed the end was near. On Nov. 30, Kiffin officially announced he was leaving for Baton Rouge.
Kiffin’s departure came when Ole Miss finished the regular season 11-1 and was a lock for the 12-team College Football Playoff. Kiffin publicly claimed he requested to remain the coach through the playoffs to finish what he started. However, he alleged that AD Keith Carter denied the request, and that’s how his Ole Miss career ended.
Kiffin aims to lead LSU through the transition from the Brian Kelly era. While public commentary on his Ole Miss exit has been measured, surveys by The Athletic revealed some peers remain critical, noting Kiffin sometimes complicates situations with off-field drama or self-inflicted issues.
Some analysts even mentioned the contentious nature of the exit, especially the bar on playoff coaching, as part of a recurring pattern in his career, including at Tennessee and USC. However, Kiffin is expected to start strong at LSU, with PFSN projecting a 37.1% chance of making the 2026 College Football Playoff.
