Lane Kiffin Reveals Challenges of LSU Football Staffers Splitting Time With Ole Miss

Kiffin and Co. are navigating a chaotic stretch in Baton Rouge, multiple staffers returning to Oxford amid CFP preparation.

Nov 28, 2025; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin looks on in the second half against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Lane Kiffin and the LSU Tigers are navigating a chaotic stretch in Baton Rouge this month with the program gearing up for the offseason to officially arrive.

From NCAA Transfer Portal evaluations to coaching staff additions, Kiffin and Co. have their sights set on rebuilding the LSU program overnight.

The first step in Kiffin's plan of attack was to get the coaching staff in order with a primary focus on locking in his assistants on offense from Ole Miss to make their way to Louisiana.

Across a three-week stretch, Kiffin successfully brought over his offensive coordinator, running backs coach, wide receivers coach, and tight ends coach, among several others, as the staff took shape.

But there remained challenges in the way with the Ole Miss Rebels amid a College Football Playoff run where officials in Oxford are allowing the assistants to coach - despite Kiffin not having the ability to.

Courtesy of Ole Miss Rebels Football.

“I was hoping to complete a historic six season run with this year’s team by leading Ole Miss through the playoffs, capitalizing on the team’s incredible success and their commitment to finish strong, and investing everything into a playoff run with guardrails in place to protect the program in any areas of concern," Kiffin said on Nov. 30.

“My request to do so was denied by Keith Carter despite the team also asking him to allow me to keep coaching them so they could better maintain their high level of performance. Unfortunately, that means Friday’s Egg Bowl was my last game coaching the Rebels.”

Kiffin isn't on the sidelines, but his assistant coaches that followed him from Ole Miss to LSU are - helping lead the Rebels to a first-round matchup win over Tulane.

But it's been chaotic with the coaching staffers juggling duties for both Ole Miss and Kiffin's LSU Tigers where he broke down the process during an appearance on ESPN during LSU's Texas Bowl matchup against Houston.

Courtesy of Kewan Lacy's Instagram.

“They’re doing a great job,” Kiffin said during Saturday’s Texas Bowl. “We saw the performance in the last game. They came back down here after that game, came down here for a couple of days, and now they’re back there. I was just on the phone with [offensive coordinator] Charlie Weis.

"We were talking about quarterback rankings, just we were going over them tonight. So, sometimes we have our staff meetings, even though they’re back there, when Pete is done with his. Then, we get on and have our own.

"We’re just trying to make it work for both sides so Ole Miss can have the best chance of winning a national championship and we can also be building what we are here.”

Now, all eyes are on LSU's Transfer Portal run with the window set to open on Jan. 2 as roster reconstruction continues in Baton Rouge.

More LSU News:

LSU Football Wide Receiver, Oklahoma Transfer Labeled 'Biggest Bust' in Portal

Lane Kiffin Pulls Off Historic Recruiting Feat Amid First Month With LSU Football

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

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