Lane Kiffin and LSU Football Pull Off Impressive Staff Hire From Florida Gators

Florida Gators special teams assistant coach Cason Bicknell is heading to Baton Rouge where he will join Lane Kiffin's LSU Tigers staff for the 2026 season, according to 104.5 ESPN.

Bicknell spent the 2025 season on the Florida staff where he served as Special Teams Quality Control for the Gators, but will now reunite with LSU Special Teams Coordinator Joe Houston in the Bayou State.

LSU hired Houston as the program's Special Teams Coordinator this offseason as a critical component to the staff in Baton Rouge under Kiffin following his stint in Gainesville.

Houston, who spent the last two seasons with the Florida Gators under Billy Napier, has made multiple stops across the Southeastern Conference during his time on the sidelines.

In 2025, Houston was elevated to special teams coordinator on Napier's staff prior to the Florida Gators relieving their head coach of his duties in October.

It's a savvy hire for Kiffin where Houston has spent time on staff with the New England Patriots under Bill Belichick, Nick Saban at Alabama in 2019, and more across his time in football.

NEW: Cason Bicknell is joining the LSU staff as Asst. Special Teams Coordinator under Joe Houston, I’m told.

Houston and Bicknell worked together at Florida in 2025 where Bicknell was Special Teams Quality Control. @1045espn @LASportsDotNet
— Matt Moscona (@MattMoscona) January 27, 2026

Houston is a former All-America kicker at USC where he finished his playing career under Kiffin after starting for the Pete Carroll-led Trojans.

Now, Houston brings over his former colleague in Gainesville as an assistant special teams coordinator for the 2026 season, according to 104.5 ESPN.

LSU continues assembling a strong staff in Baton Rouge ahead of Kiffin's inaugural season at the helm of the program.

“This place is built for championships with championship expectations. We understand that, but as an elite competitor, that’s exactly what you want, and that’s why we’re here,” Kiffin said at his introductory press conference. …

"I know that we have, with the passion of LSU family and our LSU players, that we have everything to bring championship football back to LSU.

“It’s time for LSU to take its place back as the best program in all of college football. … I’m uniquely prepared at 50 years old for this job to have been so many places, done good things, made a lot of mistakes and made them really early on.”

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