Lane Kiffin walks back on commitment after landing LSU job

Christian Standal

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Lane Kiffin walks back on commitment after landing LSU job image

Lane Kiffin has officially taken over as the head coach of the LSU Tigers after a dramatic and highly publicized exit from Ole Miss. LSU secured Kiffin with a massive seven-year deal worth $13 million annually, placing him among the highest-paid coaches in college football and ending weeks of speculation about his future.

The timing of the move shocked the college football world. Ole Miss had just completed an 11–1 regular season and earned a spot in the new 12-team College Football Playoff. Kiffin asked to coach the Rebels through the postseason, but athletic director Keith Carter denied the request, noting the program needed stability during the transition. Defensive coordinator Pete Golding was promoted to head coach immediately.

Kiffin called the decision to leave “a family choice,” saying he consulted with mentors like Pete Carroll and Nick Saban before leaving Oxford. Still, the departure was tense. Police escorted Kiffin past angry fans at the airport as he boarded a plane with LSU athletic director Verge Ausberry.

Since landing in Baton Rouge, Kiffin has worked nonstop to rebuild a program that fired Brian Kelly in October. The early signing period and the need for quick roster evaluations left no room for delay,  and it even forced Kiffin to skip a major appearance on ESPN.

Kiffin Cancels GameDay to Secure No. 1 Recruit

Kiffin was scheduled to appear on ESPN’s College GameDay in Atlanta ahead of the SEC Championship, but abruptly canceled. On X, he wrote, “Welp had to stay in BR and still finishing some things out with players and a coach. Won’t make it to Atlanta.”

The change paid off. Kiffin locked in the nation’s top recruit, five-star offensive lineman Lamar Brown, a 6'4", 285-pound Louisiana star ranked No. 1 by Rivals. Brown’s signing, along with five-star defensive lineman Richard Anderson, pushed LSU’s class to No. 11 nationally.

Staff decisions are also in motion. Kiffin is expected to hire Ole Miss offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr., though Weis is finishing the postseason with the Rebels. He is also working to retain defensive coordinator Blake Baker, who is a candidate for the Tulane head-coaching job. Syracuse assistant Elijah Robinson has been linked to LSU’s defensive line opening as well.

The GameDay appearance would have been Kiffin’s first major interview since his LSU introduction, but he chose roster building over media time. As Saban recently argued, current coaching-transition rules can harm players. Which is something Kiffin appears determined to manage carefully as he begins his tenure in Baton Rouge.

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Contributing Writer