The saga of waiting to see where Lane Kiffin would land officially ended on Sunday afternoon when the news dropped that the coach will be heading to LSU. He spent six seasons with Ole Miss before taking the job with the Tigers.
LSU made the news official shortly after Kiffin shared a statement. Tigers athletic director Verge Ausberry released a statement afterwards, calling Kiffin “the best coach in the country.”
“We are thrilled to welcome Coach Kiffin as the next head coach of the LSU Football program,” Ausberry said. “We shared when we began this search that LSU would secure the best coach in the country and Lane Kiffin is just that. Lane is a proven winner who has thrived in an era of college athletics that requires coaches to adapt and innovate. His passion, creativity and authenticity make him the ideal leader to guide LSU into the future and consistently position us among the sport’s elite.
“I want to welcome Lane and his family to Baton Rouge, and I’d like to thank our search committee, as well as our university and state leadership, for their critical support and counsel throughout this process.”
Got our guy. pic.twitter.com/VpQu9wZZBH
— LSU Tigers (@LSUsports) November 30, 2025
LSU began its search for a new head coach after firing Brian Kelly on Oct. 26 following a 5–3 start to the season. Coincidentally, Kelly was hired by the Tigers on Nov. 30, 2021, exactly four years ago to the date from the program hiring Kiffin on Sunday.
Kiffin wanted to remain with Ole Miss to coach them through its playoff run, but ultimately the program chose to promote defensive coordinator Pete Golding as the Rebels’ “permanent” head coach as they embark on their first College Football Playoff appearance in school history. Kiffin led the team to its first 11-win regular season on Friday.
LSU’s season ended after the team went 5–7 overall and 3–5 in the SEC.
More College Football on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as LSU Athletic Director Calls Lane Kiffin ‘Best Coach in the Country’ After Hiring.
