Lane Kiffin’s departure from Ole Miss was never going to be low-key, but the details of his exit have added a new layer of drama. The former Rebels head coach said he was under the impression he would be allowed to guide the team through the playoffs, only to have that request denied by Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter. The program, however, has a response of its own.

“Ole Miss officials dispute Kiffin’s account of this, by the way,” reporter Ross Dellenger wrote on X on December 1, in a post responding directly to Kiffin’s emotional statement.

“Lane Kiffin says he did not know for certain until about 8:30 a.m. Sunday – 30 minutes before a scheduled team meeting – that he would not be allowed to coach the playoffs. He was under the impression before the 8:30 phone call from AD Keith Carter that he would coach the playoffs,” the original tweet read.

In three weeks, Ole Miss kicks off its title chase with newly crowned head coach Pete Golding, while Kiffin rebuilds from scratch at LSU. Sounds wild? The claims bring the drama into focus. Ole Miss is staring down its biggest games in decades, maybe even a Playoff game right in Oxford. And instead of rolling with a morose temper, Ole Miss moved fast to address the biggest uncertainty, officially elevating defensive coordinator Pete Golding to head coach on November 30. Kiffin’s sudden departure for LSU, however, left a host of new challenges for both Golding and the Rebels’ administration. From adjusting the roster to maintaining momentum heading into the postseason, the program now faces a complex transition that will test its leadership in the weeks ahead.

“For our program to begin preparing for its future – both the short and long term, he will be stepping away from the team immediately,” Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter said.

This might be an absolute deja vu moment for Kiffin. He accepted the Florida Atlantic Owls job, and Nick Saban wasted no time showing him the door. With Kiffin juggling two futures, Saban decided that divided loyalties had no place in a title run. And just like that, the Lane Kiffin saga in Oxford did a full 180. When he rolled into town on that December night in 2019, he was treated like the program’s long-awaited hero. Ole Miss had basically been a coaching graveyard since Johnny Vaught hung it up in 1970; nine of the previous ten coaches got pushed out the door.

But Kiffin flipped the script. A 55-19 run, the third-most SEC wins behind only the Alabama Crimson Tide and Georgia Bulldogs, and a top-eight mark among all power-conference programs since 2020. So, the emotions are running high.

The emotional turmoil led Kiffin to seek out one of LSU’s former coaches for a heart-to-heart conversation.

Lane Kiffin calls LSU Tigers’ ex-head coach after fans made it difficult for him

Crowd boos are normal. But at his LSU intro presser, Kiffin claimed things went next-level. He actually had to call the cops because Mississippi fans were “trying to run him off the road” after he dipped on the Rebels before a potential playoff run.

“You gotta turn around, and people are screaming at you, trying to run you off the road. I don’t know what they’re gonna do,” shared Kiffin.

He just locked in a seven-year, $91 million mega-deal, roughly $13 million a year, launching him straight to the No. 2 spot on the college football money ladder, right behind Kirby Smart. LSU’s doing its part to sweeten Kiffin’s exit even more. 

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Reports say they are still cutting him the postseason checks. It means he could pocket up to $1 million if Ole Miss wins a national title without him on the sideline.

If all these assurances were not enough, Kiffin knew, he had someone on speed dial. It is the former LSU Tigers head coach, Ed Orgeron.

“Oh. I would love to. You kidding me? I’m one call away,” the former Tigers’ head coach shared on ESPN’s Unsportsmanlike podcast.

Stepping into Baton Rouge, Kiffin made the first call. And a hearty conversation followed.

“Hey man, this place makes me want to talk like you right now,” said the emotional Kiffin.

“Coach, you’re at the best place in America,” came Orgeron’s reassurance.

LSU handed Lane Kiffin the budget to build a monster roster. His first night in town? He’s already sitting down with Lamar Brown, the top recruit in America. The real chapter starts now, after the Ole Miss heartbreak.