Lane Kiffin Reacts to Ole Miss Rebels' New Hire Amid Departure for LSU Football

The Lane Kiffin era is off to a strong start in Baton Rouge after making the move to depart the Ole Miss Rebels for the head coaching gig with the LSU Tigers.

In what has become an impressive 10-day stretch for Kiffin and the administration in the Bayou State, the LSU program has inked a strong 2026 Signing Class while piecing together most of the on-field staff for next season.

Once Kiffin arrived in Baton Rouge, he brought double-digit staffers from Ole Miss to LSU - including his offensive coordinator, wide receivers coach, tight ends coach, general manager, and multiple analysts.

The coaches have since arrived at the LSU Football Operations Building with Kiffin to begin their new chapters with the Tigers, but there has since been a twist.

Fast forward to Monday night and ESPN's Pete Thamel revealed that those that departed Oxford for LSU have Kiffin's blessing to return to Ole Miss to assist in the program's postseason run.

LSU Tigers Football. — Dec 1, 2025; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU president Wade Rousse, left, LSU new head coach Lane Kiffin and LSU athletic director Verge Ausberry stand together at South Stadium Club at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

“Sources: Four current LSU offensive assistants are joining OC Charlie Weis Jr. at Ole Miss to prepare the team for the CFP run,” Thamel said via X. “TE coach Joe Cox, WR coach George McDonald, assistant QB coach Dane Stevens and slot WR coach Sawyer Jordan all returned to Oxford this morning.

“Lane Kiffin made the decision to allow the coaches to return in an effort to help new Ole Miss coach Pete Golding, the staff and players maximize the opportunity ahead in the CFP,” Thamel continued. “(There’d already been a decision to let Weis return, made last week.)”

As the Ole Miss program transitions in the post-Kiffin era, the Rebels will have their staffers in Oxford amid a College Football Playoff run, but understand that the five assistants will return to Baton Rouge following a postseason run.

🕊️
Go win it all!!!! https://t.co/vmTokfx3v5
— Lane Kiffin (@Lane_Kiffin) December 9, 2025

Now, Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding has made a new hire after adding East Carolina offensive coordinator John David Baker.

Baker replaces current offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. who will return to Baton Rouge following the College Football Playoff after following Lane Kiffin on the LSU Tigers staff.

Across Baker's first stint with the Ole Miss Rebels, he served the program's co-offensive coordinator in 2022 and 2023 along with taking on duties as the tight ends coach from 2021-23.

Following multiple seasons with Ole Miss, Baker then made the move to East Carolina where he became the offensive coordinator of the Pirates across the last two seasons - accepting the gig after the 2023 season.

Now, Kiffin has reacted to the news of the hire:

Great hire!!!!! 🔥 https://t.co/tfrqB5Rip8
— Lane Kiffin (@Lane_Kiffin) December 9, 2025

Kiffin and Co. continue assembling a staff in Baton Rouge with multiple Ole Miss assistants taking their talents to join LSU.

More LSU News:

LSU Football Hires Elite Offensive Coordinator, Five Assistant to Lane Kiffin's Staff

Three Takeaways From Lane Kiffin's Introductory Press Conference With LSU Football

Lane Kiffin Reveals How Nick Saban, Pete Carroll Influenced Decision to LSU Football

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