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The latest Lane Kiffin saga finally ended when he left for Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on Sunday.
But Kiffin later revealed that some Ole Miss fans created a rocky route to the Oxford, Mississippi, airport. He claimed that a group of unhappy fans tried to chase his car “off the road.”
Kiffin was formally introduced as LSU’s next head coach on Monday. During the press conference, he outlined the vision he hoped to bring to life during his tenure, but he also went into detail about his apparent need for police assistance at that tense moment.
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Mississippi head coach Lane Kiffin watches his team play against Oklahoma during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Alonzo Adams)
“Call an officer that you know and they will help you,” Kiffin said. “Because you know them personally, because you leave the state. And you have to turn around and people are screaming at you, you know, trying to run you off the road. I don’t know what they’re going to do. And then… It affects you.”
While Kiffin acknowledged the passion of Ole Miss fans, he also suggested that his experience during his airport trip served as confirmation of his decision to leave Oxford.
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“And that airport scene, and all the things that are said, I get it. That’s the passion. But they say that about you, that you thought you did a really good job for six years for them. And it affects you. And even on the plane down there, I’m kind of like, ‘Yeah, we’ve made this decision, but like, God, I really…’ You know?”
Head football coach Lane Kiffin and athletic director Verge Ausberry of the LSU Tigers arrive at Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport on November 30, 2025 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Gus Stark/University Images via Getty Images)
Kiffin coached the Rebels to victory over Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl rivalry game last Friday to secure an 11-1 record for Ole Miss. While Ole Miss did not qualify for this week’s SEC Championship Game in Atlanta, the seventh-ranked Rebels are in position to likely advance to the College Football Playoff.
But Kiffin won’t be on the sidelines for Ole Miss. After reportedly meeting with Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter and school chancellor Glenn Boyce, Kiffin learned his time coaching the Rebels was over.
“I hoped 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 commitment to finishing strong, and investing everything in a playoff run with guardrails in place to protect the program in all areas of concern,” Kiffin said in a statement.
LSU head football coach Lane Kiffin speaks in the South Stadium Club at Tiger Stadium on December 1, 2025 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Matthew Hinton/Imagn Images)
“My request to do so was denied by Keith Carter despite the team also asking him to allow me to continue coaching them so they could better maintain their high level of performance. Unfortunately, this means that Friday’s Egg Bowl was my last game coaching the Rebels.”
Defensive coordinator Pete Golding will step into the head coaching job for Ole Miss’ presumed playoff run. Kiffin finished his six-year tenure at Oxford with a 55-19 record, making him the third-winningest coach in school history.
As for his next chapter, Kiffin thanked the LSU fans who met him at the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport and said the reception left him vindicated.
“I saw the board there and I saw the management,” he said. “And I felt the power of this place. And then I get in the car. And as we drive out, and there are the fans. Just all of them out there in the airport. And their excitement and their passion.”
