Lane Kiffin’s exit from Ole Miss to take LSU’s reported seven-year, $91 million deal did not surprise everyone. Ole Miss reporter Ben Garrett, who also had a falling out with Kiffin over his comments, said he believed Kiffin had mentally checked out long before the move became official.

“I’d heard that he was leaving, and I mean, he’d been trying to leave since the Oklahoma game, if not earlier than that, like October,” On3‘s Garrett told the Next Round podcast on July 9. “He was gone. He made a decision, in my opinion, after Ole Miss finished nine and three with his best defensive or maybe overall roster, in his opinion, in 2024. Even though that was at his feet, like, he’s the reason why they went nine and three.”

The tension between Garrett and Kiffin became public during the 2025 Egg Bowl. Before the game, Garrett had compared Kiffin’s commitment to Ole Miss with a controversial rap lyric while discussing rumors that he would leave. After beating Mississippi State, Kiffin confronted Garrett, accusing him of insulting him. The disagreement continued during Kiffin’s postgame press conference, where the head coach called Garrett’s actions “bush league.”

Kiffin apologized for calling Garrett out, according to the On3 reporter. However, the aftereffects of his departure are still fresh in Oxford. And now, as Garrett claims Kiffin wanted to leave Oxford in 2024, the noise may become even louder.

After the 2024 season, several major programs monitored him closely. Florida evaluated him as it searched for answers about its future. Eventually, LSU became the most aggressive suitor after parting ways with Brian Kelly. Kiffin’s agent, Jimmy Sexton, handled negotiations that ultimately led to one of college football’s richest coaching contracts. LSU offered $91M, an elite recruiting base, and superior financial resources.

For Garrett, though, Kiffin was already looking for greater opportunities. Having covered Lane Kiffin for more than six years, the On3 reporter had a fair idea of what brewed in the former Ole Miss head coach’s mind. “I talked or covered Lane three times, talked to him three times a week, in an official capacity or off the record, for six years,” Garrett said. “This is not somebody I didn’t know. This is somebody that knew me, and I knew him.”

Even before he left, Ole Miss fans were getting frustrated with reports linking his name to every coaching vacancy. Kiffin’s refusal to firmly deny those reports didn’t help either. And that frustration turned into anger when he ultimately exited the Rebels just before the playoffs.

Fans gathered at Oxford’s airport to protest his departure. A viral photo that appeared to show his belongings left outside the football facility reflected the public mood, even though the image itself was never verified. Ole Miss players also challenged parts of Kiffin’s explanation that the team wanted him to remain through the playoff run. Athletic director Keith Carter publicly disputed parts of Kiffin’s timeline as well.