Former Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin spoke with ESPN’s Mark Schlabach about his departure from the Ole Miss football program and reflected on what he wishes he had done differently during the process.
Lane Kiffin spent six seasons at Ole Miss from 2020 through 2025 before leaving the program for LSU. His departure came just before the Rebels made their first-ever College Football Playoff appearance, as he accepted the head coaching position in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Before his exit, Kiffin guided Ole Miss to an 11-1 record during the 2025 regular season, helping position the Rebels for one of the most successful seasons in program history.
Shortly after Kiffin’s departure, Ole Miss promoted defensive coordinator Pete Golding to head coach. Golding led the Rebels to two College Football Playoff victories, defeating Tulane in the first round before knocking off Georgia in the Sugar Bowl to advance to the national semifinals..
Lane Kiffin Revisits Ole Miss Exit
In the interview, Kiffin seemed to regret the way things ended for Rebels fans, as well as many of the players, coaches, and staff, including Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter.
“I wish I would have gone in when I met with Keith and said, ‘I’ve made the decision to go,'” Kiffin said. “I wish I would have just said, ‘Hey, I’d like to coach the team,’ and he’d say, ‘No.’ And I’d say, ‘Hey, OK, I appreciate it.’ I wish I’d moved on and never even discussed it again.”
Rebels fans were, and still are, quite upset with the way Lane Kiffin handled his departure, as he was booed while taking off on the plane en route to Baton Rouge on the day of his exit. Ole Miss tried very hard to retain many of the staff members, but most of them followed Kiffin to Baton Rouge as well.
Lane Kiffin’s Controversial Exits Becoming a Familiar Pattern
Kns Tennessee Ole Miss Football Bp | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Leaving schools abruptly has not always been easy for Kiffin, as he faced similar criticism in 2010 when he left the Tennessee Volunteers for the USC Trojans. USC was considered his dream job at the time, and his departure left Volunteers fans outraged.
Kiffin returned to face the Volunteers as the head coach of Ole Miss in 2021, and Tennessee fans made their feelings known by throwing golf balls and other debris onto the field. Despite the chaos, the Rebels won the game 31-26.
Despite being an excellent head coach, Kiffin has struggled with taking responsibility and leaving programs on the right note once he decides to move on.
Sign up to our free news letterand follow us on Facebook and X for the latest news.
Add us as a preferred source on Google
