Why isn't Lane Kiffin coaching Ole Miss? Former Rebels coach left for LSU
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The biggest game in the history of Mississippi football has arrived.
The No. 6-seed Rebels will play in their first-ever College Football Playoff game when they welcome in American Conference champion and No. 11 seed Tulane to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Mississippi.
When the Rebels take the field against the Green Wave, however, they’ll be running out without the coach who helped lead them to this stage of the season: Lane Kiffin.
At 11-1 overall, Kiffin has led Ole Miss to its second season with at least 11 wins in program history and a near appearance in the SEC Championship game before his public departure to rival LSU, two days after the Egg Bowl.
The Rebels quickly named defensive coordinator Pete Golding to be the full-time successor to Kiffin in Oxford, Mississippi.
“I told (the players) I view myself as an interim head coach right now,” Golding said Sunday, Dec. 7, according to the Clarion-Ledger, part of the USA TODAY Network. “We’re not going to reinvent the wheel. This thing was headed in the right direction.”
Should the Rebels win their CFP first-round game, they’ll face No. 3 Georgia in the Sugar Bowl on Thursday, Jan. 1 at 8 p.m. ET in New Orleans at Caesars Superdome with a shot to go to the CFP semifinals.
Here’s what a revisit on Kiffin’s exit from Ole Miss to LSU:
Where is Lane Kiffin?
Kiffin is not in Oxford, Mississippi, for the Rebels’ first-round game vs. Tulane. He was named LSU’s newest head coach on Sunday, Nov. 30.
Why is Lane Kiffin not coaching Ole Miss in College Football Playoff?
Kiffin requested to continue coaching the Rebels through the playoff despite taking the LSU job.
“We tried every single thing possible to continue to coach the team through the playoffs,” Kiffin said during his LSU introductory news conference on Monday, Dec. 1. “In the end, that was their decision, and we totally respect that.”
It’s worth noting that there are two head coaches of CFP teams — James Madison’s Bob Chesney and Tulane’s Jon Sumrall — who are coaching their current teams despite already taking new positions (and both programs have already hired their replacements).
Kiffin, however, is not moving from the Group of Five to the Power Four, but instead moving within the SEC — to a traditional Ole Miss rival, no less.
Why did Lane Kiffin leave Ole Miss for LSU?
Kiffin announced on Nov. 30 that he intended to leave Ole Miss for LSU, two days after beating rival Mississippi State in the Magnolia Bowl.
“After a lot of prayer and time spent with family, I made the difficult decision to accept the head coaching position at LSU,” Kiffin said in a statement posted on his personal X (formerly Twitter) account. “… While I am looking forward to a new start with a unique opportunity at LSU, I will forever cherish the incredible six years I spent at Ole Miss and will be rooting hard for the team to complete their mission and bring a championship to Oxford.”
— Lane Kiffin (@Lane_Kiffin) November 30, 2025
In his introductory news conference, Kiffin called LSU “different” when asked why the Tigers and not staying in Oxford with the Rebels.
“This place is different. Having watched this place for a long time and from the other sideline. This place is different, and that’s why we’re here,” Kiffin said.
He added: “As we’re going to the office, and you go by Tiger Stadium, and it’s lit up, and you are like, I absolutely made the right decision, and (any bad feelings) all went away,” Kiffin said.
Lane Kiffin Ole Miss record
In his six seasons at Ole Miss, Kiffin led the Rebels to a 55-19 overall record while turning the Rebels into one of the best programs in the SEC.
Here’s a year-by-year breakdown on how Ole Miss fared under Kiffin:
- 2020: 5-5
- 2021: 10-3 (Sugar Bowl)
- 2022: 8-5 (Texas Bowl)
- 2023: 11-2 (Peach Bowl)
- 2024: 10-3 (Gator Bowl)
- 2025: 11-1
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why isn’t Lane Kiffin coaching Ole Miss in CFP? Rebels coach left for LSU
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