Lane Kiffin is expected to be the LSU Tigers' next head coach, according to On3’s Pete Nakos, Chris Low and Brett McMurphy. This brings a likely resolution to one of college football’s longest-running coaching sagas.
The agreement is not yet finalized, and a contract has not been officially signed. But according to ESPN's Pete Thamel and Mark Schlabach, it "would be a shock" if he didn't sign it.
The conversations in LSU's camp have grown increasingly confident, with the Tigers prepared to make Kiffin one of the highest-paid coaches in the sport. The proposed deal would pay up to $14 million per year, sources told On3, a figure that would place him above Georgia's Kirby Smart.
Kiffin met for more than three hours Saturday evening with Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter and chancellor Glenn Boyce, followed by additional discussions that stretched for hours.
The holdup is centered on whether Kiffin would be permitted to continue coaching Ole Miss through its College Football Playoff run. Rebels officials had informed Kiffin that he would not be allowed to coach the team in the playoff if he accepted another job.
Lane Kiffin is “essentially demanding to finish the season (w/Ole Miss) while simultaneously threatening to poach” Ole Miss’ roster & staff if he can’t, source told @On3sports. “It’s unfortunately gotten even messier than expected as emotions are high” https://t.co/gBcvHKk3Ps
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) November 30, 2025
"Kiffin is “essentially demanding to finish the season (w/Ole Miss) while simultaneously threatening to poach” Ole Miss’ roster & staff if he can’t, source told @On3sports. “It’s unfortunately gotten even messier than expected as emotions are high”
A team meeting at Ole Miss is scheduled for 10 a.m. ET on Sunday, potentially serving as Kiffin’s farewell address to the Rebels. The gathering follows Ole Miss’ 11-1 regular-season finish and historic 38-19 win over Mississippi State on Friday in the Egg Bowl.
Update: LSU executives and Lane Kiffin's reps held a call after the Tigers game at OU to continue solidifying the deal with travel plans: The university is sending two planes to Oxford on Sunday for Kiffin, his family & others, sources tell @YahooSports.Https://t.co/rKDHmY8JwP https://t.co/VgKewdoEFZ
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) November 30, 2025
Ole Miss is on track to host a first-round College Football Playoff game, further raising tensions around Kiffin’s postseason status.
If completed, the move would hand LSU one of the sport’s most polarizing offensive strategists and close a saga that spanned multiple weeks, millions in NIL projections, and postseason implications.
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