The LSU football team has a new head coach for 2026. Lane Kiffin is leaving Ole Miss in dramatic fashion, to head to Baton Rouge and coach the Tigers. Ole Miss won't have to wait long to face off against Kiffin and the Tigers.
“He will play at both Ole Miss (and) Tennessee next season,” On3 reporter Brett McMurphy posted to X, formerly Twitter. “LSU's remaining 2026 SEC schedule: Home vs. Alabama, Miss State, Texas, Texas A&M & at Arkansas, Auburn & Kentucky.”
Kiffin released a statement Sunday afternoon about his decision to leave Ole Miss. In the statement, Kiffin repeated that he was denied an opportunity to keep coaching the Rebels through the College Football Playoff. Kiffin said the team had hoped he could finish the journey with them.
“I will forever cherish the incredible six years I spent at Ole Miss and will be rooting hard for the team to complete their mission and bring a championship to Oxford,” Kiffin said in part in the statement.
Kiffin's first game as LSU head coach will be September 5, against Clemson.
Lane Kiffin faces pressure to win right away at LSU
Kiffin takes over a LSU football program that finished the 2025 regular season with a 7-5 record. The Tigers fired former coach Brian Kelly during the campaign. Kelly is owed more than $50 million in buyout money after leaving Baton Rouge.
Kelly couldn't get the Tigers to the College Football Playoff during his tenure. That will be Kiffin's mission at LSU. It won't be easy, as it took him several seasons to do that at Ole Miss. He will also be looking for a new defensive coordinator to work with the Tigers.
Ole Miss fans surely have that LSU-Ole Miss game circled on their calendar. The Rebels will be led by defensive coordinator Pete Golding in the CFP and moving forward.
