Lane Kiffin hired as LSU’s coach, won’t finish season with Ole Miss

OXFORD, Miss. — LSU‘s courtship of Lane Kiffin has ended, as he is leaving Ole Miss to take the job in Baton Rouge and won’t coach the Rebels within the School Soccer Playoff.

He introduced each issues Sunday afternoon, the end result of a weekslong saga that hung over the game, prompted vicious debate and places Kiffin within the unprecedented place of a head coach leaving his workforce and never teaching it within the CFP.

“This was a really difficult, troublesome day,” Kiffin instructed ESPN’s Marty Smith on Sunday. “We went by quite a bit final evening with [Ole Miss athletic director] Keith Carter making an attempt to determine a method to make this playoff run work and be capable to coach the workforce. And on the finish of the day, that is his resolution and I completely respect that. I perceive that call.

“I simply completely want the workforce the very best of luck, want that I used to be teaching. … I simply hope they play rather well and go win the nationwide championship.”

His take care of LSU is for seven years and is price roughly $12 million yearly, with the potential for bonuses, a supply instructed ESPN. That will make Kiffin one of many highest-paid coaches in faculty soccer.

Ole Miss responded shortly, selling defensive coordinator Pete Golding as the college’s everlasting coach quickly after Kiffin left for LSU.

Kiffin, 50, and the Rebels simply wrapped up an 11-1 common season with a 38-19 win over rival Mississippi State, all however assuring them a berth within the 12-team CFP.

After saying he would resolve Saturday whether or not he’ll coach at Ole Miss or LSU in 2026, Kiffin met with Carter and Ole Miss chancellor Glenn Boyce for a few hours Saturday on the chancellor’s house in Oxford.

Kiffin additionally sought the recommendation of former Alabama coach Nick Saban and Las Vegas Raiders coach Pete Carroll, his former boss at USC, over the previous few weeks.

In a press release issued to social media earlier Sunday, Kiffin mentioned Carter “denied” his request to educate within the School Soccer Playoff “regardless of the workforce additionally asking” for Kiffin to be allowed to complete the season. Kiffin additionally instructed ESPN that he understands why he was instructed by Carter to not attend Sunday’s workforce assembly, however mentioned, “I do not know if I completely agree.”

“My coronary heart was right here [at Ole Miss],” Kiffin instructed ESPN. “However I talked to some mentors — Coach Carroll, Coach Saban. Particularly when Coach Carroll mentioned, ‘Your dad would inform you to go. Take the shot.’

“I at all times hated how we gave it one yr at Tennessee and left. I hated that feeling of that. I believe we gave quite a bit to this program and to this metropolis and a few of these historic wins on this stadium, finest common season within the historical past of the college. So, I am happy with that half. Nevertheless it simply grew to become time. I talked to God, and he instructed me it is time to take a brand new step. It is a new chapter.”

“My coronary heart was right here … however it simply grew to become time. I talked to God, and he instructed me it is time to take a brand new step. It is a new chapter.”

Lane Kiffin, on why he selected LSU over Ole Miss

Kiffin, who instructed ESPN that he by no means gave ultimatums to his Ole Miss teaching workers, shall be formally launched as LSU’s coach Monday.

Two planes flew from Baton Rouge and landed at College-Oxford Airport earlier than 4 p.m. CT on Sunday. For greater than an hour, a number of of Kiffin’s members of the family and workers had been escorted to the jets in SUVs. Amongst them had been his ex-wife, Layla; son Knox; and brother Chris, the Rebels’ linebackers coach.

There have been about 250 followers lined up alongside the fence. Police prevented automobiles from coming into the airport car parking zone as soon as it was full. Followers booed loudly and shouted obscenities at any time when somebody exited an SUV. The final particular person to board a aircraft was Kiffin, who was escorted down the runway by a Mississippi Freeway Patrol cruiser. He was embraced by LSU athletic director Verge Ausberry, who was carrying a purple shirt, earlier than climbing the steps and taking off.

“It simply was one thing I prayed on and made a household resolution,” Kiffin instructed ESPN about switching colleges. “Possibly it is proper, perhaps it is flawed. However I believe numerous instances, you simply go show issues proper, and that is what we will do after we get there [to LSU].”

The naming of Golding as head coach will result in continuity at Ole Miss in 2026 and past, particularly on protection. Over his profession, his items have allowed 18.5 factors and 330.8 yards per recreation. The Rebels this yr have the SEC’s third-ranked cross protection and the twenty fifth scoring protection in FBS (20.1 factors per recreation).

“[Golding’s] tenure will start instantly as he leads our program within the pursuit of a nationwide title,” Carter mentioned in a press release. “Right now’s workforce assembly was a transparent indicator of his means to impress our squad. All of our gamers and coaches are ecstatic and able to lock arms for a playoff run.

“From the second he arrived in Oxford, we shortly realized Pete is a coach who couldn’t solely lead a program however elevate it to championship standing. He has demonstrated an distinctive soccer thoughts, however greater than that, he has proven a deep understanding of our tradition, values and what it means to be a part of the Ole Miss household. Merely put, Pete is one among us.”

Kiffin’s resolution was anticipated to return Saturday, and there was a delay partly as a result of the results of the Iron Bowl late that day impacted whether or not Ole Miss would have performed this week. Kiffin additionally met with some gamers within the soccer constructing Sunday, and he mentioned in his assertion that the gamers wished him to educate within the CFP.

A part of the drama unfolding Saturday revolved round which Ole Miss workers members would depart with Kiffin. The Rebels’ brass wished to guard the workers to maintain issues as regular as attainable for the postseason. Kiffin would clearly take a few of his workers with him, and the timing of these departures got here into focus as discussions went on in the course of the day.

Ole Miss officers are being aggressive with workers salaries, as there is a excessive give attention to retention, sources instructed ESPN.

On the offensive facet for Ole Miss, quarterbacks coach Joe Decide, a longtime NFL coordinator and head coach, has agreed to remain on workers, sources instructed ESPN. Decide’s function hasn’t been formalized but, however Ole Miss officers and Golding made clear early on that he was a precedence workers member to remain in Oxford. He coached Trinidad Chambliss and Jaxson Dart whereas in Oxford.

Ole Miss co-defensive coordinator Bryan Brown is amongst these remaining on workers with Golding, a supply instructed ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg.

Golding is in his third season on the Rebels’ workers after serving 5 years as a high defensive assistant at Alabama below Saban.

“Ole Miss Soccer is particular,” Golding mentioned in a press release. “Because the day I arrived, I’ve felt the eagerness, satisfaction and unwavering assist of Insurgent Nation. It is a place the place expectations are excessive, and soccer is woven into the material of the neighborhood. Our mission shifting ahead is obvious: we are going to play with toughness, self-discipline and relentless effort in every thing we do.”

Kiffin’s resolution included an only-in-the-SEC drama that ensnared three outstanding colleges, as Florida had additionally expressed curiosity in Kiffin earlier in its search. When that wasn’t reciprocated, the Gators hired Tulane coach Jon Sumrall.

Kiffin has guided the Rebels to a 55-19 document in his six seasons. Solely Alabama (67-12) and Georgia (71-8) have extra wins within the SEC because the begin of the 2020 season. The Rebels have the eighth-most wins amongst power-conference groups throughout that stretch.

LSU has a championship model in a number of sports activities; state-of-the-art services; a rabid, regional fan following; and a legendary, historic house soccer venue in Tiger Stadium (nicknamed Loss of life Valley), which towers over the banks of the Mississippi River and holds 102,000 spectators — 38,000 greater than Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.

The lone soccer coach of LSU’s previous 4 who didn’t win a nationwide championship was Brian Kelly. He was fired in late October throughout his fourth season — a seismic growth that additionally led then-athletic director Scott Woodward to resign below strain from Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry.

The Related Press contributed to this report.