Why Lane Kiffin's wife Layla may have final decision between Ole Miss, LSU, Florida

Lane Kiffin deflected as long as could, but now Ole Miss, LSU, and Florida want a final decision.

The Ole Miss Rebels head coach, who has his team almost guaranteed a spot in the College Football Playoff no matter what happens in the Egg Bowl against their in-state rival Mississippi State Bulldogs, insisted that he wouldn't address the coaching rumors of whether he'd stay or go until after the season was over.

Lane Kiffin, Kewan Lacy — Nov. 15, 2025; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin embraces running back Kewan Lacy (5) after defeating the Florida Gators at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Unfortunately, reality set in, with rabid fan-bases and wealthy boosters, not to mention the natural cycle of college football, requiring the biggest domino in the coaching carousel to fall now that James Franklin has taken the job at Virginia Tech.

Unlike his prior run as a the coaching prodigy turned tarmac-fired flame out, it might not be his final decision this time. It could be his reconciled wife Layla's. Here's why.

Lane Kiffin and Layla Kiffin — Lane Kiffin/Instagram

Kiffin says he's learned to choose family over football now

Lane Kiffin, Layla Kiffin — Lane Kiffin with Layla when he was introduced as the Tennessee Volunteers head coach. | Michael Patrick/News Sentinel

After finally landing his dream job with the USC Trojans in 2010, ditching Tennessee after only a season, to which Volunteers fans will never forgive him, Kiffin was feeling invincible.

Kiffin had recovered from being fired by Al Davis in the NFL for the then Oakland Raiders, but his arrogance got the best of him, famously getting axed by USC on the LAX tarmac in 2013.

The 50-year-old Kiffin told his bestie Theo Von, who walked with him into the Florida game through The Grove, on his podcast back in April, "I was a head coach at Tennessee and USC, and I was like, that was my higher power. 'Man, I’m the head coach at USC, and that’s who I am.' Not like, 'Oh, I’m a husband,' not 'I’m a father.' Like that became my higher power. That was the most important thing to me, and I could feel it.”

Kiffin and Layla were separated and eventually got divorced, having three children together, all known by college football fans by now — Landry, Presley, and Knox.

Layla Kiffin uprooted her entire life to give Lane another chance

As we've documented on The Athlete Lifestyle On SI, Kiffin had been hinting at a reconciliation with Layla since December 2024, and eventually Mrs. Kiffin decided to leave an idyllic life in Manhattan Beach, California, where many professional athletes and coaches live with their families (and wealthy USC alums), with their son Knox, and move to Oxford, Mississippi to be reunited.

Presley stayed behind to play volleyball at USC, where she's a freshman, and of course Landry had already followed dad to Ole Miss, where she has become a successful influencer and pilates instructor while attending the university. Knox is now the starting quarterback for Oxford High School as a sophomore, and is currently in the Mississippi state playoffs with aspirations of being an SEC QB1.

Proud of this guy….⚡️#staythecourse @KnoxKiffinQB pic.twitter.com/5wzjKWLJcl
— layla kiffin (@layla_kiffin) October 26, 2025

Oh, and Landry is also dating LSU star linebacker Whit Weeks, who could soon be playing for Kiffin. Talk about awkward.

Layla visited Florida and LSU without Lane

Lane Kiffin, Landry Kiffin, and Layla Kiffin | Lane Kiffin/Instagram

The most telling sign that Layla might have the final say is Mrs. Kiffin visited Baton Rouge and Gainesville without her husband.

Per The Athletic, which first reported the ultimatum that Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter has asked Lane to make a decision before the Egg Bowl, also dropped the tidbit that only the families visited.

"Lane was not on either trip," Stewart Mandel reported.

It's also being reported that Nick Saban, who won his first national championship with LSU, believes Kiffin's best opportunity to win it all is with the Tigers, having left Michigan State for Baton Rouge at nearly the same age as Kiffin is now. His wife, Terry, had done nearly the same reconnaissance trip as Layla did Monday.

If Kiffin has made it a priority to choose family first, then it would only be fitting that Layla gets the final say.

For all that he's put her through over the years, it's the least he could do.

Knox Kiffin, Lane Kiffin — Oxford quarterback Knox Kiffin (13) talks with his dad and Ole Miss football head coach Lane Kiffin on the sidelines during a high school football game between Murrah and Oxford at Hughes Field in Jackson, Miss., on Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025. | Ayrton Breckenridge/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

UPDATE: Layla had a big photo dump on her IG Stories just as we published this story, showing off all the good times from her action-packed weekend, including Knox's playoff game and her mom visiting to attend the Ole Miss game, not to mention several photos with her girl crew.

She seems very comfortable in Oxford.

Layla Kiffin with her mom at the Ole Miss vs. Florida game. | Layla Kiffin/Instagram

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