Lane Kiffin makes coaching decision after years with Ole Miss

The Lane Kiffin drama got here to an finish on Sunday when the Ole Miss Rebels head soccer coach introduced he was leaving the college to take the LSU Tigers job.

Kiffin was coming off a victory towards Mississippi State within the Egg Bowl rivalry sport on Friday afternoon. He mentioned he needed to pray lots earlier than making the choice, which was initially scheduled to be made on Saturday. However Kiffin reportedly met with athletic director Keith Carter and college chancellor Glenn Boyce all through the night time.

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Ole Miss Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin through the sport towards the Oklahoma Sooners at Gaylord Household-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on October 25, 2025. (Kevin Jairaj/Imagn Photos)

In line with a number of reviews, he met with the crew within the afternoon earlier than the choice was formally introduced. He won’t coach the crew within the Faculty Soccer Playoff.

“After a lot prayer and time spent with household, I’ve made the tough choice to simply accept the pinnacle teaching place at LSU,” Kiffin mentioned in an announcement.

“I hoped to finish a historic six-season run with the Ole Miss crew this 12 months by main the playoffs, capitalizing on the crew’s unbelievable success and their dedication to ending robust, and investing all the things in a playoff run with guardrails to guard this system in any respect areas of concern. My request to take action was denied by Keith Carter, regardless of the crew additionally asking him to permit me to proceed teaching them so they may higher keep their excessive stage of efficiency. Sadly does this imply that Friday’s Egg Bowl was my final sport teaching the Rebels.

“Whereas I look ahead to a recent begin with a novel alternative at LSU, I’ll eternally cherish the unbelievable six years I spent at Ole Miss and can work laborious for the crew to finish their mission and convey a championship to Oxford.”

Defensive coordinator Pete Golding will reportedly be named head coach at Ole Miss.

Kiffin has been the most well liked teaching goal in school soccer with a number of open positions. He has been linked to the LSU and Florida jobs. The Tigers parted methods with Brian Kelly, and the Gators parted methods with Billy Napier mid-year. Each openings will happen at colleges thought-about the gold commonplace in relation to the game.

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Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin appears on throughout warmups earlier than the sport towards the Florida Gators at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on Nov. 15, 2025. (Petre Thomas/Imagn photos)

Nonetheless, Kiffin has turned the Rebels into a university soccer contender this 12 months. Ole Miss’ 11 wins this season are probably the most in class historical past, and the Rebels have accomplished that twice underneath Kiffin.

Kiffin took over an Ole Miss program that was 4-8 in Matt Luke’s closing season. He has at the least 10 wins at Ole Miss in 4 of his six years on the helm.

Kiffin has come underneath fireplace prior to now for leaving his place on a whim, most notably taking the USC job in 2010 after only one season at Tennessee.

Mississippi head coach Lane Kiffin responds to an official’s name through the second half of an NCAA school soccer sport towards Mississippi State, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025, in Starkville, Mississippi. (Rogelio V. Solis/AP Picture)

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With the Rebels more likely to safe a spot within the Faculty Soccer Playoff, it is laborious to fathom Kiffin leaving the college he helped rebuild right into a powerhouse.

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