Kiffin Says He Has No Regrets About Leaving Ole Miss

Lane Kiffin said he has never reconsidered leaving Ole Miss to coach LSU, describing the new job as better than he expected. He made the remarks in an interview on The Brandon Walker College Football Show during LSU’s bye week.

Kiffin praised the atmosphere at LSU home games, support for football across the state and the enthusiasm of its players. He also pointed to the team’s performance despite an unusually difficult offseason, saying LSU had already played as well as any team in the country at times and was a dangerous team.

LSU was 6-2 overall and 3-2 in Southeastern Conference play after eight games. Both losses came on the road, against Kentucky and Ole Miss. Kiffin referred to the Kentucky game as one that still haunts him, but said the decision to leave Ole Miss was different: he had not second-guessed it.

Kiffin departed Ole Miss after leading the Rebels to the College Football Playoff, though he did not coach them in the postseason. Ole Miss reached the semifinals under interim coach Pete Golding, who is now the team’s head coach. Kiffin’s six seasons at Ole Miss included a 55-19 record and four seasons with at least 10 wins. At LSU, he is seeking the program’s first playoff appearance since its 2019 national championship season.