Calling Baton Rouge: Lane Kiffin Reportedly 'Intends To Coach LSU in 2026'
The Lane Kiffin saga is finally over and the lightning rod coach is headed to Baton Rouge. Kiffin is holding a team meeting at 9 a.m. CT this morning, after which a formal announcement of his departure to LSU is expected. After weeks of speculation and a coaching love triangle amongst SEC foes, Kiffin has seemingly decided to leave Oxford for hopefully greener pastures.
Irrespective of some current administration issues — that apparently go all the way up to the governor of Louisiana — it’s hard to blame any coach for wanting to be at LSU. It’s probably one of the five best jobs in college football. And now the Tigers have pulled off a coup and replaced Brian Kelly with one of the best offensive minds in football.
It’s not a decision without risk, though. Kiffin leaves Ole Miss, which he just led to an 11-1 record and a College Football Playoff appearance, for an LSU program which has sputtered since its loaded 2019 team won the national title. And with Kiffin coming in with significant NIL guarantees and the ability to build a team immediately through the transfer portal, the fans in Baton Rouge will not be particularly patient if things don't go well off the bat.
This is going to be the most fascinating hire in college football since at least Kalen DeBoer at Alabama, but probably a good while before that. Kiffin defined one of the most chaotic coaching carousels we've ever seen and has now planted his flag by leaving a program he had already turned into a winner and was just hitting his stride for one with a higher ceiling but plenty of unknowns.
What a pull for the Tigers, though. In an offseason where it seems several high-profile schools may have fired their coaches to hire someone far below the caliber of what they thought they'd be able to get, LSU went after the biggest fish it could and reeled him in. But now he has to go win games.
Go ahead and circle LSU's 2026 trip to Oxford on your calendar when the SEC schedules are released.