Lane Kiffin issues apology after abruptly missing ‘College GameDay’ appearance

Lane Kiffin was officially announced as LSU’s head coach after leaving Ole Miss, a move that reportedly included a seven-year contract worth around $91 million.

Kiffin abruptly left the Rebels days before Ole Miss’s likely College Football Playoff run, prompting criticism over timing and conflicting public accounts about whether he’d stay.

Ole Miss promoted from within to steady the ship, as LSU executed a rapid staff overhaul to implement Kiffin’s system and alter the SEC landscape.

On Friday night, Kiffin posted to X saying he would not travel to Atlanta for ESPN’s College GameDay. An appearance that had been publicized earlier in the week.

He reportedly stayed in Baton Rouge to finalize retaining defensive coordinator Blake Baker, adding that he "is going nowhere."

Sorry couldn’t make it to Atlanta, but so excited that I stayed to finish this all up!! @CoachBlakeBaker is going nowhere !!!! 🐯
What a really long amazing Friday for @LSUfootball #ItsDifferent https://t.co/Z84PhdeGVz
— Lane Kiffin (@Lane_Kiffin) December 6, 2025

A former Tulane linebacker turned coach, Baker started as Louisiana Tech’s safeties coach in 2014 under Manny Diaz, then was promoted to defensive coordinator and linebackers coach in 2015.

Diaz hired him as Miami’s defensive coordinator in January 2019, where the Hurricanes finished 13th in total defense and tied for 6th in tackles-for-loss.

Baker joined LSU as linebackers coach/co-DC on January 29, 2021 (coaching Butkus finalist Damone Clark), but wasn’t retained by Brian Kelly.

Hired at Missouri in January 2022, he was quickly elevated to DC, then returned to LSU as defensive coordinator on January 6, 2024, with a reported $2.5 million per year deal.

Despite finishing 7-5 (3-5 SEC), Baker's LSU defense was one of the best in 2025, allowing just 18.3 points per game, ranking in the top 15 nationally.

Louisiana State Tigers mascot. — Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Louisiana State Tigers mascot during the game against the Oklahoma Sooners at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Rumors had swirled around Baker in recent weeks, with reports indicating that he had fielded interest and interviews for head coaching vacancies at Tulane and Memphis.

Within his first week, Kiffin closed the early signing period by securing the nation’s No. 1 recruit, five-star athlete/DT Lamar Brown, and locked in other headline pieces for the 2026 class — notably Richard Anderson and Deuce Geralds on the D-line, plus edge prospect Trenton Henderson and in-state WR Jabari Mack.

Keeping Baker closes off a likely departure path for a coach who has been on other programs’ radars, and it prevents LSU from entering the offseason with a defensive vacancy that might have hampered recruiting continuity.

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