No one wants to bid forever goodbyes. And if you’ve ever been lucky enough to have someone else’s mother love you like their own, you’ll feel the heart-wrenching tribute by the wife of Lane Kiffin’s brother Chris. It’s not even been a year since the Kiffins lost their patriarch with the passing of legendary Monte Kiffin in July. The pain of the loss lingers, but just as things were beginning to settle into a warm rhythm with Lane preparing for the 2025 Ole Miss season, his kids thriving, and a heartwarming reconciliation with wife Layla, tragedy shattered the peace. 

On June 17, Lane Kiffin’s mother, Robin Kiffin, passed away at 81. And it’s not just her blood children mourning her death. Daughter-in-law Angela Timmons Kiffin, who shares four beautiful kids with Chris Kiffin felt the searing pain. On June 18, she posted a tribute to Robin on her Instagram story featuring a sweet picture of them arm in arm. Her caption is heartbreaking — “RIP Mimi 💔 Thank you for being the best mother in law, raising my sweet husband, and loving me and our kids so much!!! I know you and pops will be pain free, dancing, singing and cheering us on from heaven!” The painful part of this is that two legends of the Kiffin family are gone within 12 months. 

Robin Kiffin wasn’t just the matriarch of a football family. She was the glue. She was “Ma Kiffin,” a football wife. Married to Monte Kiffin for over 50 years, she followed his sideline dreams from Lincoln to Los Angeles, Green Bay to Gainesville. A mother to Lane, Chris, and Heidi Kiffin, a guiding hand, a faithful Bible study member. She was also a home chef, feeding neighborhood kids and football players alike. ESPN once asked her how she survived the madness of coaching life. She had the answers ready. “Don’t fight football,” “You gotta have faith, and a big kitchen,” “Buy a good suitcase” because they were always relocating. Then there’s this one. 

”No mom wants to cook all day on Thanksgiving and have everyone leave the table after 10 minutes,” she said. So, she made her family play a game at dinner where they would write wishes on slips of paper and guess each other’s dreams. She then revealed, “There was one that was always easiest to guess: ‘I wanna go to the Super Bowl.’ That was Monte’s.” That’s who she was. In reality, Mimi had been the Super Bowl all along. The grief isn’t just Lane Kiffin’s. It’s spread like wildfire through the family and beyond. 

Lane Kiffin shares his tribute to mom Robin Kiffin

Lane Kiffin’s quiet tribute came with a picture of his mom and brother Chris, both arms wrapped around each other in happier days. There was no caption, just two red heart emojis. Then came the harder one. A family photo. A message that no 50-year-old son is ever ready to write. “We will miss you Mom,” he wrote. “Thank you for everything, and say hi to Pops. I’m glad your broken heart can now be healed with him again.” He also shared a post of Knox Kiffin with her on her birthday.

Lane Kiffin’s 20-year-old daughter, Landry Kiffin, shared her own memory with a photo from the Rebels’ Gator Bowl win in January. It captured her and her grandmother beaming at EverBank Stadium, as her dad held the trophy like a prize earned over decades of sacrifice. “Rest in peace sweet Mimi ❤️” she wrote. That was the last game she saw. A 52-20 win over Duke. It’s a memory sealed forever. Lane also posted a photo of the night sky on X with the caption, “Bet you two are having a huge Pops hug. Love you guys. My biggest fans.” 

Prayers have flooded in from all corners of college football. Everyone who’s ever known the kind of woman who didn’t fight football, but embraced it. Who didn’t just raise coaches, but raised good men. RIP Mimi. You were the heart of the Kiffins.