Lane Kiffin’s ambition to get major jobs took him to powerhouses like Alabama and USC. But those high-profile coaching tenures also messed up his health, primarily due to his drinking habit. It worsened during his stint at the Trojans and even followed him to Ole Miss. The worst impact of Kiffin’s alcoholism was felt by his loved ones. Now, five years into sobriety, those same people admit how the LSU head coach has changed for the better.

“He’s for sure just gotten a lot better as you said, and just life,” Lane Kiffin’s son, Knox Kiffin, said on the WAFB YouTube channel when asked how his father has evolved over the years. “Giving up drinking is a huge thing, and not a lot of people can do it. And just losing the weight is good for him, but he’s just becoming a better father, as it’s gone. Just being there, more active, like being at my game, doing all that, and just being able to be more focused and have alone time with me and have one-on-one time.”

Before things were restored to normal, Lane Kiffin had a struggle with drinking that ultimately cost him his family. His wife, Layla Kiffin, filed for divorce in 2016 after 12 years of marriage. At the time, Lane lived a reckless lifestyle, later admitting that he was not the best version of himself, nor was he fully present for his kids as a result of his alcoholism.

However, when at Ole Miss, Lane Kiffin decided to quit alcohol. He started it by replacing his drinks with other hobbies, such as pickleball and hot yoga. That lifestyle change helped him shed 45 pounds.

Lane Kiffin now has his family back with him, as his Instagram posts and public statements have shown. Knox offered insight into how involved his father was in his career when he was asked about Lane Kiffin’s move to LSU.

“He for sure asked us what we thought, and he told us beforehand. So, we weren’t going to be shocked when the news came out. So, he had us covered through it.”

Lane Kiffin is having the best moment of his life, not just for his big move to LSU, but for having his family around him again. Last January, when he celebrated his fourth year of sobriety, his daughter Landry Kiffin gave him a gift, and he has often credited his kids, Landry, Presley, and Knox, for helping him become a better father.

This year, the 5th sobriety anniversary came as he was settling in at LSU after leaving Ole Miss in a dramatic fashion. Lane Kiffin took to X to share an important message with his fans, writing, “I want to say to anyone that has something holding you back from being the best version of yourself—you CAN do it!! It won’t be easy AT ALL, but I promise you it will be worth it.”

As for Knox Kiffin, he has an exciting recruiting journey ahead of him in Louisiana.

Knox Kiffin is starting to receive offers

Knox Kiffin is a 6-foot-2, 180-pound athlete who transferred from Oxford High School in Mississippi to University High School in Baton Rouge. In the 2025 season, Knox threw for 1,236 yards and 14 touchdowns, with two interceptions, and completed 67 of 114 passes. The three-star prospect is a junior quarterback in the 2028 class. But there are projections that as he edges closer to his senior year, he would be listed as a four-star prospect.

However, it is very unlikely that the LSU Tigers would be the ones to recruit this prospect, as he has expressed his desire not to play for his dad. It was the same case with the son of Ohio State head coach Ryan Day, R.J. Day, who snubbed his father’s program and committed to Northwestern.

The 16-year-old has drawn interest from programs across the country. The California Golden Bears, Washington Huskies, and SMU Mustangs are among the programs that have offered him. Most recently, he received his first SEC offer from the University of Missouri.