When Ole Miss hired Lane Kiffin as its next football coach in 2020, it was taking a gamble on someone who had previously developed a reputation for falling short of expectations. The investment has evidently paid off, as Kiffin has turned the Rebels into what he calls an NFL-like program.
Kiffin joined Ole Miss just as the college football transfer portal and NIL rule changes began taking effect. Many have pointed out how the changes in the NCAA have nearly turned it into a professional league, a development that Kiffin and the Rebels have accepted.
“We run it much more like the NFL, where we'll look into things and take into the opinions of people who have been doing it for a long time, as we evaluate and look at things and not the old way, where it was just the nine assistant coaches,” Kiffin said, via On3 Sports. “We're much more like an NFL team, almost like having area scouts, and we've been good on our evals.”
Kiffin spent three years in the NFL — one as an assistant for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2000 and two as the head coach of the Oakland Raiders in 2007 and 2008. He went just 5-15 in his two years with the Raiders before getting fired.
In addition to his own NFL credentials, Kiffin has hired several assistants with experience at the next level. Most notably, Ole Miss hired former New York Giants head coach Joe Judge as a senior analyst in 2024. Judge is currently the Rebels' quarterbacks coach.
Lane Kiffin's NFL approach leading Ole Miss to success in 2025
Despite his wealth of knowledge and experience, Kiffin struggled early in his head coaching career. After being fired by the Raiders, he led unsuccessful stints at Tennessee and USC, with the latter also ending in termination.
After three years of returning to his primary role as an offensive coordinator under Nick Saban at Alabama, Kiffin got another head coaching opportunity with Florida Atlantic. That venture was much more successful, leading to his current position with Ole Miss.
Since landing in Oxford, Kiffin has clearly turned the page. He has led the Rebels to a 44-18 record through his first four years and is now on track for his best season in 2025. Despite losing eight players in the 2025 NFL Draft, including star quarterback Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss is off to a 6-0 start in 2025, giving it a No. 5 ranking entering Week 8.
