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Lane Kiffin’s latest saga finally ended when he left for Baton Rouge, Louisiana, this past Sunday.
But Kiffin later revealed that some Ole Miss fans had created a rocky road to the airport in Oxford, Mississippi. He claimed a group of disgruntled fans tried to run his car “off the road”.
Kiffin was officially introduced Monday as LSU’s next head coach. During the press conference, he laid out the vision he hoped to bring to life during his term, but he also detailed his apparent need for police assistance during the tense moment in question.
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Mississippi head coach Lane Kiffin watches his team play Oklahoma in the first half of an NCAA college football game in Norman, Oklahoma, Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Alonzo Adams)
“Call a cop you know to help you,” Kiffin said. “Because you know them personally because you’re leaving the state. And you have to turn around, and people are yelling at you, you know, trying to get you off the road. I don’t know what they’re going to do. And so that… It affects you.”
While Kiffin acknowledged the passion of Ole Miss fans, he also suggested that his experience during his trip to the airport served as confirmation of his decision to leave Oxford.
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“And that airport scene, and everything that’s being said, I understand that. It’s passion. But they say that about you, that you thought you did a really good job for six years for them. And it affects you. And even on the plane there, I’m kind of like, ‘Yeah, we made this decision but, oh my God, I really…’ You know?”
Head football coach Lane Kiffin and athletic director Verge Ausberry of the LSU Tigers arrive at the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport on November 30, 2025 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Gus Stark/University Images via Getty Images)
Kiffin coached the Rebels to victory over Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl rivalry game last Friday to secure an 11-1 record for Ole Miss. Although Ole Miss did not qualify for this week’s SEC Championship Game in Atlanta, the seventh-ranked Rebels are likely in position to advance to the College Football Playoff.
But Kiffin won’t be on the sideline for Ole Miss. After reportedly meeting with Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter and school chancellor Glenn Boyce, Kiffin learned his time as coach of the Rebels was over.
“I was hoping to complete a historic six-season run with this year’s team by leading Ole Miss through the postseason, capitalizing on the team’s incredible success and their commitment to finishing strong, and investing everything in a postseason run with guardrails in place to protect the program in all areas of concern,” Kiffin said in a statement.
LSU head football coach Lane Kiffin speaks at the South Stadium Club at Tiger Stadium on December 1, 2025 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Matthew Hinton/Imagn Images)
“My request was denied by Keith Carter, although the team also asked him to allow me to continue coaching them so they could better maintain their high level of performance. Unfortunately, this meant that Friday’s Egg Bowl was my last game coaching the Rebels.”
Defensive coordinator Pete Golding will take over as head coach for Ole Miss’ presumptive playoff run. Kiffin finished his six-year tenure at Oxford with a 55-19 record, making him the third winningest coach in school history.
As for his next chapter, Kiffin thanked the LSU fans who met him at Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport and said the reception gave him a sense of vindication.
“I saw the board there and I saw the leadership,” he said. “And I felt the power of this place. And then I got in the car. And as we were leaving, there were the fans. They were all there at the airport. And their enthusiasm and their passion.”
