Social media reacts to LSU football hiring Lane Kiffin from Ole Miss

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News broke Sunday that LSU football hired Lane Kiffin to be its next head football coach. He heads to Baton Rouge after six years at Ole Miss.

The Rebels are in the midst of their third-straight double-digit win season and are on the brink of earning the program’s first berth in the College Football Playoffs. Per a statement released by Kiffin, he wanted to remain in his role at Ole Miss through the postseason but the request was denied by athletic director Keith Carter.

LSU honed in on Kiffin as its top target and got the job done, despite drama during the search. Newly-appointed athletic director Verge Ausberry and the board of supervisors led the search process, which will likely make Kiffin one of the highest-paid head coaches in the country. His annual payout could rival Georgia’s Kirby Smart, who will make $13.2 million in 2025.

Over his 29-year coaching career, Kiffin experienced highs and lows that brought him to an SEC blue blood program. He built his resume at USC as a longtime assistant under Pete Carroll before stepping up as the head coach in 2010. He was fired in 2013, and then joined Alabama as the offensive coordinator under Nick Saban, helping the Crimson Tide win two national championships.

In a new era of college athletics, Kiffin built Ole Miss into a playoff contender by utilizing an aggressive approach with NIL and the transfer portal. Combined with LSU’s resources, the program is set for a new look under Kiffin.

How did social media react to Kiffin taking the LSU football head coach job?

Two of the biggest names in college basketball, analyst Rick Vitale and St. John’s head coach Rick Pitino, chimed on with their thoughts on Kiffin’s move to LSU and what it says about the larger picture in college football.

Social media users commented on the effects of Kiffin’s decision on the Ole Miss players he coached all season as they prepare for a probable playoff appearance. Others wonder what LSU thinks about Kiffin’s statement, his potential future beyond LSU, and the spectacle created by the entire situation.

Several social media users leveraged the Kiffin move to LSU as an example of a broken college football landscape, from the recruiting calendar to the postseason timing and offseason schedule in a new era that involves the transfer portal and NIL.

Kiffin joins a lineup of successful head coaches at LSU, including women’s basketball’s Kim Mulkey.

This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: Social media reacts to LSU football hiring Lane Kiffin

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