LSU football, Lane Kiffin poach another assistant coach from Ole Miss

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LSU football is expecting to hire Ole Miss running backs coach Kevin Smith, according to a report from On3's Pete Nakos. Smith appeared in a video posted by LSU, showing Lane Kiffin and a slew of offensive assistants at the LSU facilities.

Several Ole Miss assistants followed Kiffin to LSU earlier this month. Now, Smith is set to join the fold too. The group of assistants, which includes offensive coordinator Charlie Weis, coached Ole Miss in its playoff win over Tulane on Saturday.

LSU hiring Smith is no surprise. Earlier this week, Ole Miss hired LSU interim head coach and running backs coach Frank Wilson. With Wilson headed to Ole Miss, likely as running backs coach, it became clear Smith was Kiffin's top target to lead LSU's running backs room.

Smith is a longtime assistant of Kiffin. After playing in the NFL for a few years, Smith spent two years as a coaching intern at UCF. Kiffin hired Smith to his FAU staff in 2017 and Smith later followed Kiffin to Ole Miss.

In Oxford, Smith has coached some prolific running back rooms. Quinshon Judkins was one of the most productive rushers in the country in 2023. Kewan Lacy was just as good in 2025.

There will be immediate speculation about Lacy following Smith and Kiffin to LSU. Lacy ranks second in the SEC with 1,366 and leads the conference with 21 touchdowns. Lacy has 35 runs of 10+ yards in 2025.

Also a priority for the Tigers is holding on to five-star running back Harlem Berry. Wilson led Berry's recruitment in 2025 and with Wilson on his way to Oxford, there's concern Berry could head that direction, too. Berry showed promise as a true freshman this season.

This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: LSU football, Lane Kiffin poach another assistant coach from Ole Miss

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