Florida State Seminoles Attempted to Hire Lane Kiffin Away From Ole Miss Prior to LSU

Florida State officials made a run at Kiffin in November, backed off once it was clear LSU was trending.

LSU head coach Brian Kelly and Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin shake hands after a college football game between Ole Miss and LSU at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Miss., on Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025. Ole Miss defeated LSU 24-19. | Ayrton Breckenridge/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Lane Kiffin has officially made his move to Baton Rouge after selecting the LSU Tigers as his next destination following a six-year stint with the Ole Miss Rebels.

In what became the storyline of the 2025 season, Kiffin departed Oxford amid an 11-1 season with the Rebels locking in a College Football Playoff berth this fall.

“After a lot of prayer and time spent with family, I made the difficult decision to accept the head coaching position at LSU,” Kiffin said in a statement. “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.

“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.”

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

“While I am looking forward to a new start with a unique opportunity at LSU, I will forever cherish the incredible six years I spent at Ole Miss,” Kiffin continued. “And I will be rooting hard for the team to complete their mission and bring a championship to Oxford.”

In what became a three-team race for Kiffin between Ole Miss, LSU and Florida, there was apparently a fourth team involved, Kiffin revealed on Monday at his introductory press conference in Baton Rouge.

After speculation across the last 48 hours, ESPN revealed the fourth team was the Florida State Seminoles.

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

Lane Kiffin Courted By Florida State:

"The coaches discussed four options: Remain at Ole Miss, where they had built a legitimate College Football Playoff contender; leave for SEC rivals Florida or LSU; or take over Florida State, which according to people with knowledge of the search, was making a stealth move to poach Kiffin," ESPN's Mark Schlabach wrote.

“The Seminoles’ recruitment of Kiffin continued into the middle of November, according to the sources,” Schlabach added. “But after it became clear Kiffin wasn’t coming, FSU announced Nov. 23 that (Mike) Norvell would return for a seventh season.”

Now, Kiffin has been formally introduced as the new shot-caller in Baton Rouge despite efforts from Ole Miss, Florida, and Florida State.

More Ole Miss News:

Ole Miss Makes Final Decision on Lane Kiffin Coaching CFP As LSU Tigers Pick Up Steam

Potential Lane Kiffin Replacements Revealed As Future With Ole Miss 'In Doubt'

Tony Vitello Pokes Fun at Ole Miss Football's Lane Kiffin in Goodbye to Tennessee

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