Ole Miss Coach Claps Back at Lane Kiffin Tease With LSU 'Goodbye' Shade
One of the biggest stories in college sports at the end of 2025 was college football coach Lane Kiffin's decision to leave his role with the Ole Miss Rebels and join the LSU Tigers' football team.
It isn't abnormal for a head coach to jump ship from one program to another, although this one having occurred within the same conference was relatively unique. However, what was different about this choice was when it happened. Kiffin left Ole Miss after an 11-1 season, after they earned a spot in the College Football Playoff.
Many felt like this was disrespectful to the program and Kiffin's Ole Miss players, given that he was leaving them before the biggest game of their careers (although Kiffin since said he had to accept the job when he did or else LSU would have found another head coach). While Ole Miss went on to beat Georgia in the College Football Playoff before losing to Miami in the semifinal, many people associated with the school are still upset with Kiffin.
RELATED: Kim Mulkey Holds Lane Kiffin’s Hand During Grand LSU Entrance Amid Playoff Spotlight
The No. 7-ranked LSU Tigers women's basketball team beat the No. 17-ranked Ole Miss women's squad in Oxford by a score of 78-70 on February 20. Afterwards, Kiffin made a (now-deleted) X post that showed LSU fans holding cutouts of his face that read, "Thanks for helping out the attendance. @YollettMcCuin was begging for @LSUwbkb. Glad they showed up. Great competitive game early ladies!!! #justdifferent"
Kiffin tagged Ole Miss head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin with the post, who quickly responded with her own comment that read, "Have y’all ever heard of a football coach, tagging a WBB coach, after a game? This guy doesn’t even like women’s sports! Cope harder! 🇹🇹 #GoldingEra".
Have y’all ever heard of a football coach, tagging a WBB coach, after a game? This guy doesn’t even like women’s sports! Cope harder! 🇹🇹 #GoldingEra
— Coach Yo (@YolettMcCuin) February 20, 2026
She is referring to Ole Miss football's new head coach, Pete Golding. Kiffin then replied to this by saying, "Not true. Love women’s sports 😂," with a photo of him and LSU women's basketball head coach Kim Mulkey and him playing in an Ole Miss softball game.
Not true. Love women’s sports 😂 https://t.co/LCqhLjw97N pic.twitter.com/2lAXr10Sr4
— Lane Kiffin (@Lane_Kiffin) February 20, 2026
RELATED: Ole Miss Coach Addresses Kim Caldwell's Handshake Slight After Tennessee Loss
McPhee-McCuin then posted a video of her striking Kiffin out in a celebrity game with the caption, "Special thanks to my CFP coach Pete Golding and squad for coming to the game! Wasn’t his first one either! 🇹🇹❤️💙 Looking fwd to supporting our coach that has won a CFP game in the fall! Let’s say goodbye to the past Rebs, just like I did after this!"
Special thanks to my CFP coach Pete Golding and squad for coming to the game! Wasn’t his first one either! Looking fwd to supporting our coach that has won a CFP game in the fall! 🇹🇹❤️💙 Let’s say goodbye to the past Rebs, just like I did after this! pic.twitter.com/HYDh2QN8O1
— Coach Yo (@YolettMcCuin) February 20, 2026
Ultimately, it seems like both Kiffin and McPhee-McCuin seem to be (somewhat) joking. Although all good jokes contain some truth.
Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.
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