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Lane Kiffin wasn’t able to finish his season with Ole Miss, but someone who left Oxford for Baton Rogue with him will.
New LSU offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr., who flew to Louisiana with Kiffin on Sunday, will keep his position at Ole Miss through the College Football Playoff.
Ole Miss announced its coaching staff on Tuesday, and Kiffin released a statement saying the CFP rankings played a role in him allowing Weis to stay with the Rebels for a few more weeks.
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Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin (right) talks with offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. during warmups prior to a game against the Georgia State Panthers at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. (Petre Thomas/Imagn Images)
“As the playoff committee has released updated rankings tonight, I wanted it to be known that after discussions with LSU, we are allowing Charlie to return to Ole Miss to coach the team during the playoffs,” Kiffin said, via On3. “I have already brought this to the committee’s attention and I hope this decision will allow Ole Miss to receive the highest possible ranking because these great players are very deserving. I am excited that Charlie will be back to help coach the best team in Ole Miss history.”
Weis and Kiffin’s first time together came at Alabama in 2015, when Kiffin was the offensive coordinator and Weis was an assistant. They were together at Florida Atlantic for one season before reuniting at Oxford in 2022.
While Kiffin was barred from finishing his season with Ole Miss, and even meeting with players Sunday ahead of his final decision, LSU has reportedly agreed to pay Kiffin the same bonuses he was set to receive with Ole Miss should they participate in the CFP, according to to Nola.com.
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)
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“We went through a lot last night with [Ole Miss athletic director] Keith Carter is trying to figure out a way to make this playoff run and be able to coach the team. And at the end of the day, it’s his decision, and I fully respect that. I understand that decision,” Kiffin told ESPN about Carter’s choice not to let him finish the season as the Rebels’ coach. “I just wish the team good luck, I wish I was coaching… I just hope they play really well and win the national championship.”
Kiffin is reportedly set to make $13 million per season with the Tigers, making him the second-highest paid college coach in the country behind Georgia’s Kirby Smart.
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)
Ole Miss defensive coordinator Pete Golding was named head coach to replace Kiffin in Oxford.
