Lane Kiffin Reveals Stunning Reaction to Ole Miss' Fiesta Bowl Loss to Miami

Lane Kiffin and the LSU Tigers continue working behind the scenes in Baton Rouge as the program navigates a pivotal NCAA Transfer Portal window with the roster being reconstructed.

Once Kiffin arrived in the Bayou State, he cited the championship expectations at LSU and the need to work fast in order to rebuild the culture this offseason - where it starts in retooling the roster.

“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.”

LSU Tigers Football. — Dec 1, 2025; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU new head coach Lane Kiffin speaks at South Stadium Club at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

Despite Kiffin working behind the scenes, he remains in headlines this month as his former program works through a historic College Football Playoff run - reaching the semifinals after taking down Georgia last week.

Ole Miss ultimately fell to the Miami Hurricanes in a thrilling Fiesta Bowl matchup at State Farm Stadium on Thursday where Kiffin took to social media to react to the instant classic.

Amazing effort and grit. @OleMissFB 😢 best season ever in the history of Ole Miss!!
💙 love guys pic.twitter.com/4F6u9kE6Uj
— Lane Kiffin (@Lane_Kiffin) January 9, 2026

When Kiffin made the decision to depart Ole Miss for the LSU Tigers on Nov. 30, officials in Oxford denied his request to coach in the postseason - immediately elevating Golding from defensive coordinator to full-time head coach.

"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 wrote in a statement.

"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."

Now, after a pair of postseason wins over Tulane and Georgia, the Ole Miss Rebels' magical season ends with a focus on the Pete Golding era moving forward.

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