Lane Kiffin, LSU Make Coaching Decision Months After Sam Leavitt Move

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Lane Kiffin, LSU Make Coaching Decision Months After Sam Leavitt Move

New LSU Tigers head coach Lane Kiffin’s exit from the Ole Miss Rebels was absolutely chaotic. After an 11–1 regular season and an Egg Bowl win, he resigned from the Rebels just days before the program’s first College Football Playoff home game.

He signed a seven-year, $91 million deal with the Tigers, making him the second-highest-paid coach in the country behind Kirby Smart.

However, Kiffin inherited a thin quarterback group at LSU. Garrett Nussmeier had left for the NFL, and the remaining backups transferred out. His first key addition was one of the top quarterbacks, Sam Leavitt, who transferred from the Arizona State Sun Devils in January. 

LSU Tigers quarterback Sam Leavitt, formerly with Arizona State.Rob Gray-Imagn Images

The 21-year-old signal-caller threw for 4,652 yards and 36 touchdowns with 11 interceptions in three seasons before joining Kiffin’s roster. But he is currently recovering from Lisfranc surgery on his right foot, which may limit him during spring camp. Now, three months later, Kiffin is adding another piece to his offensive room. 

Per On3’s Schultz Report, they are hiring former Baltimore Ravens quarterbacks coach Tee Martin as an offensive analyst. Martin had been in Baltimore since 2021 and is reuniting with Kiffin. Just to recap, Martin has experience calling plays and was the offensive coordinator at USC during Sam Darnold’s meteoric rise.

Plus, his resume at Baltimore is quite impressive. He helped Lamar Jackson win his second NFL MVP in 2023. The following season, under Martin’s direct coaching, Jackson reached new heights with a career-high 4,172 passing yards and a franchise-record 41 touchdowns. He also made NFL history by reaching those numbers while throwing only four interceptions.

And the timeline makes sense because Martin only became available recently. He remained with the Ravens through the end of their 2025 season. He was officially let go by them on Feb. 4 after the franchise hired Jesse Minter following the departure of John Harbaugh.

With Leavitt as the projected starter and an offensive room featuring Martin, who has developed Jackson, LSU is quite ready to show one of the highest offensive ceilings in the SEC for the 2026 season. 

Related: LSU Football Gets Strong First-Year Projection Under Lane Kiffin

This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Mar 18, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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