Lane Kiffin decision winners and losers, from Ole Miss and Florida to LSU's SEC heist originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
After weeks of speculation, we finally know where Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin will coach in 2026. On Sunday afternoon, he announced that he was accepting the head coaching job at LSU, departing Ole Miss after six seasons.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAlthough reports suggested that Kiffin wanted to continue coaching Ole Miss through its historic College Football Playoff run, Rebel defensive coordinator Pete Golding is expected to be the interim.
Now that the dust has mostly settled, let's run through the winners and losers of Kiffin leaving Ole Miss for LSU.
MORE: Why Lane Kiffin spurned Ole Miss for LSU
Lane Kiffin decision winners and losers
Winner: LSU
The LSU Tigers reportedly focused solely on Kiffin throughout their coaching search — and now they’ve successfully lured him from a place where he is beloved. In Oxford, Kiffin rebuilt his coaching reputation, proving he can win at a high level.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIt’s the longest he’s stayed at a coaching stop and where he’s had the most success. He led the Rebels to a first-ever 11-win season and a first CFP berth, with a chance to play for an SEC title. He also relocated most of his family to Oxford, a place where he found sobriety and hot yoga. Clearly, Kiffin wrestled with the decision, drawing it out for a week and avoiding a direct answer.
Despite that, LSU landed its man. It took Kiffin six seasons to lead Ole Miss to the CFP with far fewer recruiting resources than LSU has. Now, the Tigers are betting he can win big — and fast. With LSU’s talent and Kiffin’s recruiting acumen, the program should be back in national title contention.
Loser: Ole Miss
Ole Miss is the clear biggest loser in this situation. The Rebels just lost a beloved figure in Oxford — and one of college football’s most polarizing head coaches. Kiffin turned Ole Miss into a program capable of four double-digit win seasons in six years, including a record 11-win season in 2025. The program is also headed to its first CFP and remains in the mix for its first SEC title.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementKiffin is already Ole Miss’ third-winningest head coach, needing just 12 more wins to become the second. Despite his public love for Oxford and the fanbase’s adoration, the school couldn’t keep him. Even reportedly matching LSU’s offer, Ole Miss couldn’t compete with one of college football’s premier jobs.
While Ole Miss has recruited well in recent years, it can’t financially compete with LSU, which is reportedly committing $25-30 million in roster-building for Kiffin. Success in college football still largely comes down to resources, and Ole Miss is in the “have-not” category compared with LSU. Kiffin may have felt he had reached the ceiling of what was realistic at Ole Miss and decided it was time to move to a program that can compete for national titles every year.
MORE: Why Lane Kiffin won't be coaching Ole Miss in the College Football Playoff
Winner: Lane Kiffin
College football's most polarizing figure has just landed one of the best jobs in all of college football. At Ole Miss, Kiffin successfully rebuilt his image as one of the biggest winners in college football. After flailing at the likes of Tennessee and USC, he took a program that's been a bottom-feeder in the SEC and won 55 games pretty feasibly.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHe did so while having less-talented rosters than some of his SEC competitors, too. Although Kiffin will get heat from Ole Miss fans for leaving, you can't exactly blame him for leaving. It's been a long road for Kiffin, from being called a con man by the Raiders' Al Davis, to leaving Tennessee amid burning mattresses and getting fired on the tarmac at USC. But at Ole Miss, he's become one of the most coveted head coaches in the country. That's growth, and he is now being rewarded for doing all that.
Loser: Kiffin's abysmal reputation of leaving jobs
I'll be honest, I thought six years at Ole Miss matured Lane Kiffin a good bit. Aside from being a better head coach, in addition to becoming an excellent recruiter and developer of talent, Kiffin appears to be a different person. He seemed far from the same coach who got fired from Raiders, bolted Tennessee after just one season and was axed from USC on the tarmac.
From becoming sober in Oxford to attending hot yoga sessions and relocating most of his family to Ole Miss, it seemed as though Kiffin put his most dramatic days behind him.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementMORE: Lane Kiffin adds to history of controversial exits
But Kiffin clearly hasn't learned anything from his past. Although he was expected to make an announcement on Saturday, that was pushed to Sunday over disagreements about his wanting to coach Ole Miss in the playoff. There was then supposed to be a team meeting at 9 a.m. on Sunday, which was pushed to 1 p.m. amidst further drama. He reportedly threatened to take his entire coaching staff with him to LSU if he wasn't allowed to continue coaching in Oxford.
Despite his growth over the last decade, he still just doesn't know how to leave a place gracefully. That's going to be a knock on his coaching career forever, no matter how much he wins.
MORE: Florida pivots off Lane Kiffin and hires Tulane's Jon Sumrall
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementLoser: The CFP calendar
Part of what makes Kiffin's decision so daunting is the current season Ole Miss is having. The Rebels are about to make and host a College Football Playoff game for the first time in school history. If Auburn defeats Alabama in the Iron Bowl, Ole Miss can play for an SEC title for the first time in school history.
Kiffin undoubtedly would want to coach Ole Miss for both of those games, and you couldn't blame him for wanting to finish out the season with his players. But for Ole Miss, you can't exactly blame the school for wanting to cut ties with him after leaving for another SEC school. The emotions of it all would make it a lot easier for Ole Miss to install an interim coach capable of leading the team during its playoff run.
There are two sides to this coin. There's no question that Ole Miss is a better team with Kiffin on the sidelines. The CFP selection committee could even potentially penalize Ole Miss with a lower seed if Kiffin does not coach in the playoff. That makes the timing of this decision quite messy. Not to mention the Early Signing Period being in early December, which Kiffin would likely need to get started on in Baton Rouge.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIf Ole Miss advances past the first round of the CFP and beyond, the 12-team bracket stretches through the third week of January. It'd be hard to imagine Kiffin continuing to do both jobs for that long, with National Signing Day scheduled for early February. The last time Kiffin tried doing that was when he accepted the FAU job and was still Alabama's offensive coordinator. Nick Saban ended up firing him before the Tide's national championship game.
Jon SumrallWinner: Jon Sumrall
Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall’s name had been linked in recent days to the open Florida, LSU and Auburn jobs. Before Kiffin to LSU was made official, Sumrall signed a deal to be the next head coach at Florida. ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported the news Saturday afternoon, just hours before Tulane was set to take on Charlotte. With a win, Tulane would clinch a spot in the AAC title game and remain in the hunt for a Group of Five bid.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementFlorida reportedly moved on from Kiffin on Friday and quickly turned its attention to Sumrall. With Kiffin passing on the open Gators job, Sumrall now has one of the best jobs in the SEC. He has won big at both Troy and Tulane and has plenty of experience recruiting in the Southeast. The former Ole Miss and Kentucky assistant now has a chance to bring winning ways back to Florida.
MORE: How much money Jon Sumrall is making with new deal from Florida
Winner: Jimmy Sexton
You have to tip your cap to how Lane Kiffin's agent, Jimmy Sexton, handled everything from the start. Sexton has represented Kiffin since 2011 and had to navigate his client publicly saying he doesn’t make decisions on certain jobs based on money, all while live-tweeting as he made up his mind. In the end, Kiffin landed one of the top jobs in college football—and earned a hefty payday in the process.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementLoser: The Rebels' offense
Beyond just losing its head coach before the playoff, Ole Miss faces a major hit to its offense. Kiffin also serves as the Rebels’ playcaller, and under his direction, quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and running back Kewan Lacy have helped the team average 37.3 points per game, third in the SEC.
Without Kiffin calling plays, the offense will likely take a significant step back. Reports indicate defensive coordinator Pete Golding will serve as the interim coach. Even with his success coaching Ole Miss' defense this season, losing the main playcaller is a major blow for Ole Miss.
MORE: Lane Kiffin confronts Ole Miss reporter following Egg Bowl win
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWinner: Lane Kiffin's bank account
With Kiffin going to LSU, he is now the highest-paid head coach in all of college football. His roughly $12 million annual salary puts him close to Ohio State's Ryan Day, who became the highest-paid coach in college football last offseason with his new contract extension. Although Kiffin stated publicly that he's never made a decision about a job over money, you can assume it was somewhat of a factor here.
The irony here? Kiffin's contract will likely come close to $90 million, depending on his bonus and incentive structures. Just last month, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry was publicly railing against Brian Kelly's 10-year, $95 million contract he signed with the school in 2022. The school now has to pay Kelly the remainder of his contract, which is nearly $54 million. If Kiffin fails to meet expectations, the school could be in the exact same boat in a few years. Kiffin's bank account, regardless, will only come out a winner.
MORE: How much money LSU is paying Lane Kiffin to leave Ole Miss
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementLoser: Ole Miss AD Keith Carter
Carter is an Ole Miss alumnus who is responsible for hiring Kiffin from FAU back in 2019. In doing so, he's made Ole Miss into a winning program. He's also shown that with the right coach, the school can have massive success that was previously unheard of—nor realized— in Oxford.
The Ole Miss AD has held other suitors off from poaching Kiffin before, most notably when Auburn reportedly tried to land him in 2022. Instead, Kiffin signed an extension, and has led the Rebels to a historic 11-win and CFP season in 2025. Kiffin and Carter reportedly have a strong relationship—with Carter attending one of Kiffin's morning hot yoga sessions last week. Despite all this, Carter was still unable to retain him, even when matching LSU's salary offer of $13 million.
The writing may have been on the wall when the two met last week. Instead of announcing an extension or new contract for Kiffin after the meeting, Carter released a long statement that merely dragged an announcement out another week.
Billy NapierLoser: Florida
Up until Friday, the Florida Gators appeared to be squarely in the mix for Kiffin. His track record as an offensive genius, successful recruiter and winning at a high level checked every box that the previous hires in Billy Napier, Jim McElwain and Will Muschamp didn't have. He wore a visor because of Steve Spurrier, and even emulating the Head Ball Coach's cockiness and one-liners made it seem like a perfect fit. His ex-wife, Layla, is the daughter of former Gator coach John Reaves, too.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBut instead, Florida lost out to both Ole Miss and LSU in the Kiffin pursuit. The Gators hired Billy Napier in 2022, despite his only head coaching experience coming in the Sun Belt with Louisiana. He led the Ragin' Cajuns to three straight double-digit win seasons, and had experience as an assistant at Alabama. The result? A 22-23 record over four seasons, as Napier finished with the worst record as a non-interim head coach since 1950.
It's obviously unclear if Sumrall, who is 41-11 as a head coach, will be a miss like Napier was. But Florida going from a coach like Kiffin as its first choice to a head coach that has never been in the SEC before seems like a drop-off. That makes Florida a loser here.
MORE: Meet Lane Kiffin's entire family, including his QB son
Loser: The Rebels' offense
Beyond just losing its head coach before the playoff, Ole Miss faces a major hit to its offense. Kiffin also serves as the Rebels’ playcaller, and under his direction, quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and running back Kewan Lacy have helped the team average 37.3 points per game, third in the SEC.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWithout Kiffin calling plays, the offense will likely take a significant step back. Reports indicate defensive coordinator Pete Golding will serve as the interim coach. Even with his success coaching Ole Miss' defense this season, losing the main playcaller is a major blow for Ole Miss.
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