Lane Kiffin backs off commitment after taking LSU job

Lane Kiffin prioritized the signing of five-star prospect Lamar Brown and assemble his new coaching staff.

LSU Tigers head coach Lane Kiffin cancelled an appearance on ESPN's College GameDay on Friday night, just hours before the show. | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

Lane Kiffin has officially taken the reins of the LSU Tigers following a dramatic exit from the Ole Miss Rebels. The university lured Kiffin to Baton Rouge with a seven-year contract that carries an annual salary of $13 million and places him among the highest-paid leaders in college football.

The agreement ended a tense saga that hovered over the sport for weeks as Ole Miss secured a historic 11-1 regular season and a berth in the 12-team College Football Playoff.

The move puts Kiffin in the unprecedented position of leaving a title contender before the postseason begins. Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter denied a request for Kiffin to coach the Rebels in the playoffs despite players asking for him to stay.

The school immediately promoted defensive coordinator Pete Golding to head coach to maintain continuity. Kiffin described the exit as a family decision and noted he consulted with former mentors like Pete Carroll and Nick Saban before taking the leap.

Kiffin faced a hostile environment as he departed Oxford. Police escorted him past angry fans at the airport before he boarded a plane with LSU athletic director Verge Ausberry.

Since touching down in Louisiana, the 50-year-old has focused entirely on stabilizing a program that fired Brian Kelly in October. The demands of the transition and the urgency of the early signing period forced Kiffin to adjust his plans for the SEC Championship weekend.

Lane Kiffin Cancels TV Appearance To Secure Top Recruit

On Friday night, Kiffin abruptly canceled his scheduled interview on ESPN's College GameDay. The segment was set to air Saturday morning from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta as part of the coverage for the game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Georgia Bulldogs. Kiffin used social media to announce he would not make the trip because he needed to finalize critical roster and staffing decisions in Baton Rouge.

"Welp had to stay in BR and still finishing some things out with players and a coach," Kiffin wrote on X. "Won’t make it to Atlanta for @CollegeGameDay. #WhatAGreatFriday"

Welp had to stay in BR and still finishing some things out with players and a coach!! 🐯🐯
Won’t make it to Atlanta for @CollegeGameDay #WhatAGreatFriday https://t.co/I5H449u1gw

— Lane Kiffin (@Lane_Kiffin) December 6, 2025

The cancellation allowed Kiffin to close the deal on the nation's top-rated prospect. Five-star recruit Lamar Brown officially signed with the Tigers on Friday evening. The 6-foot-4, 285-pound Louisiana native is the No. 1 overall player in the Rivals rankings and projects to play on the offensive line. Brown joined five-star defensive lineman Richard Anderson in a recruiting class that now ranks No. 11 in the country. Kiffin posted a photo with Brown shortly after the signing to celebrate the victory.

Staffing questions also kept Kiffin in town. He is expected to hire Ole Miss offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr., though Weis returned to Oxford to coach the Rebels in the playoffs. Kiffin is also working to retain defensive coordinator Blake Baker.

On Monday, LSU formally introduced new head football coach Lane Kiffin. | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

Baker is currently a candidate for the head coaching vacancy at Tulane, but helped the Tigers field one of the SEC's top units in 2024. Reports also link Syracuse Orange assistant Elijah Robinson to the defensive line opening at LSU following his recent demotion at Syracuse.

The GameDay appearance would have been Kiffin’s first major interview since his introductory press conference. Saban, who shares an agent with Kiffin, recently argued on the show that the current rules regarding coaching changes are unfair to players. Kiffin opted to skip the public defense of his move to focus on building his new team.