Lane Kiffin has a lot to think about over the next 24 hours, but after winning the Egg Bowl on Friday night, his thoughts turned to his late father.
After Ole Miss beat Mississippi State 38–19 to cap an 11–1 regular season, Kiffin took to social media to honor his dad, legendary defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin.
The younger Kiffin tweeted the following alongside a photo that showed a drawing of his dad and the Egg Bowl trophy:
“At the office now. Pops thumbs up!! Wish I could hug you right now and you could guide me. Love ya”
At the office now. Pops thumbs up!! Wish I could hug you right now and you could guide me. Love ya pic.twitter.com/Q85xtp2qI3
— Lane Kiffin (@Lane_Kiffin) November 29, 2025
The Kiffins coached together on numerous occasions. Monte was an assistant under his son at each of his college head coaching stops. The first instance came at Tennessee during Lane’s lone season as the team’s head coach, then for three years at USC. Monte was then a defensive assistant under his son for three seasons at Florida Atlantic, then was a player personnel analyst at Ole Miss under Lane from 2020 until 2023.
Monte Kiffin died on July 11, 2024, at 84 years old.
Lane Kiffin has done a fantastic job at Ole Miss, turning the Rebels into a legitimate SEC power with national title aspirations this season. While he has rebuffed overtures from Florida, he is still considering leaving Oxford to take over as LSU’s next coach. The 50-year-old is expected to announce his intentions on Saturday.
No matter what he decides, Kiffin has proven himself as one of college football’s premier head coaches. Monte would be proud.
Lane Kiffin’s record at Ole Miss
Kiffin took over as the head coach of the Rebels on December 6, 2019. In his first season, Ole Miss went 5–5, but he has slowly turned the program into one of the best in the country. The Rebels have reached double-digit wins in four of the past five years.
The Rebels are 50–14 overall and 28–12 in the SEC over the past five years. Kiffin also secured a top 10 finish and a Peach Bowl win in 2023, and a near-guaranteed spot in the College Football Playoff this season.
Overall, Kiffin has a 55–19 record at Ole Miss and a 117–53 record as a college head coach in four stops.
We’ll soon learn where he plans to coach in 2026.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Lane Kiffin Honors Father Monte After Egg Bowl Win As LSU Coaching Rumors Swirl.
