Lane Kiffin Wanted 1 Gig More Than LSU, Insider Says

Lane Kiffin speaks at a press conference as he is introduced as the new head football coach of the LSU Tigers at Tiger Stadium on December 01, 2025 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

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By Anne EricksonShareNewsweek is a Trust Project member

On Sunday, Nov. 30, Lane Kiffin officially parted ways with the Ole Miss Rebels and took the head coaching position with the LSU Tigers for the 2026 season. His record at Ole Miss was 55-19 over six seasons and 11-1 for the 2025 regular season.

Kiffin's deal with LSJ is for seven years with an annual salary of $13 million, totaling $91 million. The contract also includes a guaranteed buyout if he is fired without cause, bonuses for postseason targets and other extras.

Even though the LSU deal is lucrative, there's one gig in college football that Kiffin may have wanted more. One NFL analyst says that Kiffin was holding out to see what a different school was doing with its program before committing to the LSU Tigers.

NFL analyst Todd McShay says he thinks Kiffin was waiting to see if the head coaching position at the Alabama Crimson Tide was going to be available before taking the LSU gig.

"The same people that told me Friday night that it's done, that he’s got a place (in Baton Rouge) basically, and everyone in his circle knows that he's going to LSU, the same people were telling me...it will not be official until after that Alabama game," he said on The Bill Simmons Podcast.

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He continued, saying that "the job he wants more than any other job...I've known Lane for over 20 years. I'm buds with Lane. We communicate, but if you just watch, as much as he butted heads with Nick (Saban) at Alabama, he and Saban have a bond and a mutual respect for one another, even though they drove each other crazy. That was the job he wanted."

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Kiffin previously said he would call Saban, for former head coach at Alabama, and current Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll for advice on his decision.

"So, there was still this one percent in him, and no one will ever admit it, and especially him," McShay added. "I truly believe there was a small percentage of Lane who was like, 'I'm going to LSU, it’s done, but what happens if Auburn beats Alabama?' Because that thing could fall apart in a hurry with Kalen DeBoer."

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Kiffin won't coach Ole Miss during the playoffs. "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," Kiffin said in his official statement about going to LSU, adding that he was denied the chance to coach Ole Miss through their final games.

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