After weeks of speculation, we now know where Lane Kiffin will be coaching in 2026.
The now-former head coach at Ole Miss posted on social media on Sunday that he will leave Oxford and head to Baton Rouge to take over at LSU.
Kiffin was the primary target for both LSU and Florida in recent weeks , but some wondered if he would actually leave the school he turned into an SEC powerhouse, with the program on the verge of its first-ever College Football Playoff and SEC title game berth.
No need to wonder any longer — the answer is yes.
Let's take a look at why Kiffin decided to leave Ole Miss, and what it means for LSU, as well as the Rebels' playoff future.
MORE LANE KIFFIN NEWS:
- Why Ole Miss won't have Lane Kiffin for College Football Playoff
- How much money LSU is giving Lane Kiffin to leave Ole Miss
- Complete winners, losers from Lane Kiffin's move to LSU
Why did Lane Kiffin leave Ole Miss for LSU?
LSU has sky-high expectations for its head coach, with an urgency to win immediately. Brian Kelly was fired from LSU despite having a 34-14 overall record and two 10-win seasons in Baton Rouge in 2022 and 2023, including a trip to the SEC title game during his first season.
There are, of course, many perks to the Tigers’ job as well. Given LSU’s resources in NIL and recruiting — and its location in a recruiting hotbed like Louisiana — Kiffin should theoretically have no problem returning the Tigers to SEC and national title contention. It took Kiffin five seasons to lead Ole Miss to a CFP berth and chance at an SEC title. With the resources at a well-financed place like LSU, theoretically, it should take him less time to reach those benchmarks.
Ole Miss had invested heavily in Kiffin’s program, and he has recruited well. But LSU’s recruiting classes from 2022-25 consistently finished ahead of Ole Miss, usually in the Top 10 nationally. Here's a look at how both programs have compared recruiting-wise, using the 247Sports Composite rankings:
| Year | LSU | Ole Miss |
| 2020 | 5th (247), 3rd (SEC) | 39th (247), 12th (SEC) |
| 2021 | 4th (247), 3rd (SEC) | 20th (247), 6th (SEC) |
| 2022 | 17th (247), 7th (SEC) | 25th (247), 12th (SEC) |
| 2023 | 6th (247), 3rd (SEC) | 27th (247), 11th (SEC) |
| 2024 | 5th (247), 3rd (SEC) | 22nd (247), 11th (SEC) |
| 2025 | 8th (247), 5th (SEC) | 16th (247), 9th (SEC) |
In 2025, LSU was estimated to have an NIL budget of $20.1 million, good for third in the country behind Ohio State and Texas. Kiffin reportedly will have $25-30 million to work with at LSU for roster-building. Ole Miss was estimated to have spent $10 million for its roster in 2024.
If Kiffin can continue to excel in the transfer portal as he has at Ole Miss, wins should come quick with better roster talent at LSU. Kiffin has a strong track record on the recruiting trail, especially throughout the southeast.The marriage between Kiffin and the Tigers could turn out to be one of the most successful in the sport.
MORE: Meet Lane Kiffin's family, including his QB son
Is Lane Kiffin coaching Ole Miss in the playoff?
No, Kiffin will not be coaching the Rebels during their eventual Playoff run. The longtime coach has had a long string of tumultuous exits in his career. Leaving his team on the brink of its first-ever CFP berth in school history can now be added to that list.
Instead, Rebels quarterbacks coach Joe Judge, who once functioned as the head coach of the NFL’s New York Giants, will lead the team as the interim. Judge has never been a head coach at the college level, but neither has any other member of the Ole Miss staff.
MORE: Lane Kiffin confronts Ole Miss reporter following Egg Bowl win
Who is Ole Miss' interim head coach?
Ole Miss’ interim head coach will be former New York Giants head coach Joe Judge. Judge has been on Ole Miss’ staff since 2024, serving as a senior analyst that season before being elevated to quarterbacks coach in 2025. He’s helped Ole Miss’ Trinidad Chambliss have a huge season for the Rebels, throwing for 3,016 yards with 18 touchdowns and three interceptions.
Judge was the New York Giants head coach from 2020-2021, finishing with a 10-23 overall record. He spent two seasons with the New England Patriots in 2022 and 2023 as an offensive assistant and quarterbacks coach before being elevated to assistant head coach.
MORE: Tracking latest coaching changes in college football
Lane Kiffin contract details
- Years: Seven
- Amount: ~$90 million
The official details of Kiffin's contract with LSU have not yet been released, but the reports from Yahoo Sports are that it is for seven years for more than $90 million.
The Advocate reported earlier this week that LSU has offered Kiffin a $13 million salary, which would make him college football's highest-paid head coach. The newspaper added that the school was prepared to commit $25-30 million per year for roster-building.
According to the Clarion Ledger, Kiffin signed a six-year extension worth $54 million in 2023 with Ole Miss. Kiffin's salary in 2025 was right at $9 million per USA Today, which made him the 11th highest-paid head coach in college football.
MORE LANE KIFFIN NEWS:
- Why Lane Kiffin's departure may impact Ole Miss' ranking in CFP
- Meet Pete Golding, Ole Miss' new head coach with Lane Kiffin gone
- Lane Kiffin's complete history of controversial exits in football
Lane Kiffin career coaching record
Kiffin is 117-53 overall as a head coach, which includes his previous stops at Tennessee, USC and Florida Atlantic. He is the third-winningest head coach in Ole Miss school history, behind legendary Rebel coaches in John Vaught and Billy Brewer. He needed just 13 wins to surpass Brewer, who had 66 career wins in Oxford.
Does LSU play Ole Miss next year?
While the dates of Ole Miss’ 2026 schedule are not set yet, we do know which opponents the Rebels will face. Ole Miss will host LSU for a game that will be one of the most circled contests on next year’s SEC schedule.