Lane kiffin Leaves Ole Miss for LSU Amid Playoff Run

Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin is leaving the Rebels for LSU, in a stunning and unprecedented case of a college football coach taking another job while his current team is in contention to win a national title.

Ole Miss on Sunday afternoon named Pete Golding the team’s new permanent head coach, elevating the program’s defensive coordinator to lead the Rebels into their first College Football Playoff appearance.

The head coach of your fighting Tigers. @Lane_Kiffin is Callin’ Baton Rouge! pic.twitter.com/NpXTeTL0Vo

– LSU Football (@LSUfootball) November 30, 2025

The question of whether Kiffin would coach out the rest of the season with Ole Miss played a role in an extended saga that dominated the headlines of the final weekend of college football’s regular season. The seventh-ranked Rebels defeated rival Mississippi State on Friday to virtually lock up a spot in the College Football Playoff – and likely, a first-round home game.

“I was hoping to complete a historic six season run with this year’s team by leading Ole Miss through the playoffs, capitalizing on the team’s astonishing success and their commitment to finish strong, and investing everything into a playoff run with guardrails in place to protect the program in any areas of concern,” Kiffin wrote in a post on X. “My request to do so was denied by (Ole Miss athletic director) Keith Carter despite the team also asking him to allow me to keep coaching them so they could better maintain their high level of performance. Sadly, that means Friday’s Egg Bowl was my last game coaching the Rebels.”

“We went through a lot last night with Keith Carter, trying to figure out a way to make this playoff run work and be able to coach the team,” Kiffin told ESPN’s Marty Smith later on Sunday afternoon. “At the end of the day, that’s his decision and I totally respect that, I understand that decision. So, I just totally wish the team the best of luck, wish that I was coaching, but understand that it was very challenging position for (Carter) and the Chancellor to be in, and totally respect that, so, just really hope they play really well and go win the national championship.”

Kiffin said after the game that he still hadn’t made up his mind on what was next,even as a deadline for a decision loomed. He said Friday that it wouldn’t be his call whether to coach Ole Miss in the playoffs.