OXFORD, Miss. LSULane Kiffin's courtship is over as he leaves Ole Miss take a job in Baton Rouge and will not coach the Rebels in the College Football Playoff.
He announced both events Sunday afternoon, the culmination of a week-long saga that has hung over the sport, sparking fierce debate and putting Kiffin in the unprecedented position of a head coach leaving his team and not coaching it in the CFP.
“It was a very difficult and difficult day,” Kiffin told ESPN's Marty Smith on Sunday. “We went through a lot last night with [Ole Miss athletic director] Keith Carter is trying to figure out how to make this playoff run work and be able to coach a team. And at the end of the day, it's his decision and I respect him completely. I understand this decision.
“I just wish the team luck, I wish I was the coach… I just hope they play really well and win the national championship.”
His contract with LSU is for seven years and is worth about $12 million per year with the possibility of bonuses, a source told ESPN. That would make Kiffin one of the highest paid coaches in college football.
Ole Miss responded quickly, naming defensive coordinator Pete Golding as the school's full-time coach shortly after Kiffin left for LSU.
Kiffin, 50, and the Rebels just finished the regular season 11-1. victory with a score of 38-19 over your opponent Mississippialmost guaranteeing them a spot in the 12-team CFP.
Saying he will decide Saturday whether he will coach at Ole Miss or LSU in 2026, Kiffin met with Carter and Ole Miss Chancellor Glenn Boyce on Saturday for a couple of hours at the chancellor's home in Oxford.
Kiffin also sought advice from his ex. Alabama coach Nick Saban and Las Vegas Raiders coach Pete Carroll, his former boss at USCover the past few weeks.
In a statement posted on social media earlier Sunday, Kiffin said Carter “denied” his request to coach in the College Football Playoff, “despite the team also asking” Kiffin to be allowed to finish the season. Kiffin also told ESPN he understands why Carter advised him not to attend Sunday's team meeting, but said, “I don't know if I fully agree.”
“My heart was here [at Ole Miss]Kiffin told ESPN. “But I talked to some of the coaches—Coach Carroll, Coach Saban. Especially when Coach Carroll said, “Your dad would tell you to leave.” Take a photo.
“I always hated the way we gave Tennessee one year and left. I hated this feeling. I think we gave a lot to this program and this city, and some of those historic wins in this stadium, to the best regular season in school history. So, I'm proud of this part. But the time has come. I talked to God and he told me it was time to take a new step. This is a new chapter.”
“My heart was here… but it was time. I talked to God and he told me it was time to take a new step. This is a new chapter.”
Lane Kiffin on why he chose LSU over Ole Miss
Kiffin, who told ESPN he never gave his Ole Miss coaching staff any ultimatums, will be formally introduced as LSU's coach on Monday.
The two planes departed Baton Rouge and landed at Oxford University Airport before 4:00 pm Central Time on Sunday. For more than an hour, several of Kiffin's family members and employees were escorted to the planes in SUVs. Among them were his ex-wife Leila; son Knox; and brother Chris, the Rebels linebackers coach.
About 250 fans lined the fence. Police prevented vehicles from entering the airport parking lot when it was full. Fans loudly booed and shouted profanities whenever someone stepped out of the SUV. The last person to board the plane was Kiffin, who was escorted down the runway by a Mississippi Highway Patrol cruiser. Before he walked up the stairs and left, he was hugged by LSU athletic director Verge Ausberry, who was wearing a purple shirt.
“I just prayed about it and made a family decision,” Kiffin told ESPN about the school change. “It might be right, it might be wrong. But I often think it's just about proving it right, and that's what we're going to do when we get there. [to LSU]”
Naming Golding as head coach will provide continuity at Ole Miss in 2026 and beyond, especially on defense. During his career, his players scored 18.5 points and 330.8 yards per game. This year, the Rebels have the third-ranked pass defense in the SEC and the 25th-ranked scoring defense in the FBS (20.1 ppg).
“[Golding's] His tenure will begin immediately as he leads our program toward a national title,” Carter said in a statement. “Today’s team meeting was a clear indicator of his ability to galvanize our team. All our players and coaches are excited and ready to cross their arms for the playoffs.
“From the moment he arrived at Oxford, we quickly realized that Pete was the coach who could not only lead the program, but take it to championship status. He demonstrated exceptional football intelligence, but more than that, he demonstrated a deep understanding of our culture, values and what it means to be part of the Ole Miss family. Simply put, Pete is one of us.”
Kiffin's decision was expected to be made on Saturday, but the delay occurred in part because the Iron Bowl result that same day affected whether Ole Miss played this week. Kiffin also met with some players at the football building on Sunday and said in a statement that the players wanted him to coach the CFP.
Part of the drama that unfolded Saturday revolved around the Ole Miss staff moving on with Kiffin. Rebels management wanted to protect the staff and keep things as normal as possible in the postseason. Kiffin will apparently be taking some of his staff with him, and the timing of that departure became a topic of discussion as discussions continued throughout the day.
Ole Miss officials are being aggressive about employee salaries as they focus on retention, sources told ESPN.
As for the Ole Miss offense, defensive backs coach Joe Judge, a longtime NFL coordinator and head coach, has agreed to stay on staff, sources told ESPN. Judge's role has not yet been formally defined, but Ole Miss officials and Golding immediately made it clear that he is a priority hire to remain in Oxford. He coached Trinidad Chambliss And Jackson Dart while in Oxford.
Ole Miss co-defensive coordinator Bryan Brown is among those remaining on Golding's staff, a source told ESPN's Adam Rittenberg.
Golding is in his third season with the Rebels after five years as Alabama's top defensive assistant under Saban.
“Ole Miss football is special,” Golding said in a statement. “From the day I arrived, I felt the passion, pride and unwavering support of Rebel Nation. It is a place where expectations are high and football is woven into the fabric of society. Our mission moving forward is clear: we will play hard, with discipline and relentless effort in everything we do.”
Kiffin's decision included a drama unique to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which included three prominent schools. Florida also expressed interest in Kiffin earlier in the search. When this was not reciprocated, the Gators hired Tulane coach John Sumrall.
Kiffin led the Rebels to a 55-19 record in his six seasons. Only Alabama (67–12) and Georgia (71-8) have the most wins in the SEC since the start of the 2020 season. During that span, the Rebels rank eighth in wins among power conference teams.
LSU has a championship brand in many sports; modern equipment; ardent regional fans; and the legendary, historic home football stadium at Tiger Stadium (nicknamed “Death Valley”), which rises above the banks of the Mississippi River and seats 102,000—38,000 more than Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.
The only football coach in LSU's last four to not win a national championship was Brian Kelly. He was fired at the end of October during his fourth season. The seismic event also led then-athletic director Scott Woodward to resign under pressure from Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
