Lane Kiffin Watches LSU Women as Ole Miss Wins/ TezzBuzz/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ New LSU football coach Lane Kiffin appeared at the Tigers’ women’s basketball game. At the same time, his former team Ole Miss won its CFP quarterfinal at the Sugar Bowl. Kiffin was denied a chance to coach the Rebels one final time.
Kiffin’s LSU Debut Day: Quick Looks
- Lane Kiffin attends LSU women’s basketball game during Sugar Bowl
- Former Ole Miss coach appears courtside with Kim Mulkey
- Kiffin’s appearance draws cheers as Tigers face No. 11 Kentucky
- LSU women suffer first loss of season on buzzer-beater
- Ole Miss defeats Georgia 39-34 in CFP quarterfinal without Kiffin
- Kiffin wanted to coach Ole Miss through playoff, but request denied
- LSU contract: 7 years, $13 million annually, plus NIL support
- Kiffin replaces Brian Kelly, fired midseason after inconsistent performance
Lane Kiffin Watches LSU Women as Ole Miss Wins
Deep Look
BATON ROUGE, La. — Newly hired LSU football coach Lane Kiffin made his first public appearance in Tiger territory Thursday night, attending the No. 5-ranked LSU women’s basketball game just as his former team, Ole Miss, was playing Georgia in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Sugar Bowl.
Kiffin entered the Pete Maravich Assembly Center hand-in-hand with LSU women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey, drawing loud cheers from the crowd as the two raised their arms together in a unified gesture. Their appearance was a symbolic moment of Kiffin’s new chapter at LSU, even as his past loomed large across the Gulf Coast.
“He was very gracious to come over here and let the LSU fans acknowledge him,” Mulkey said after the game. “The (transfer) portal opens tomorrow, so I know he’s working. I appreciated him coming.”
Despite the fanfare, the Tigers women’s team suffered its first loss of the season, falling 80-78 to No. 11 Kentucky. Tonie Morgan hit a last-second three-pointer to cap off a dramatic finish, ending LSU’s 14-0 start.
Kiffin’s appearance came at nearly the exact moment his former program, the Ole Miss Rebels, was kicking off their College Football Playoff matchup against Georgia in New Orleans. Without Kiffin on the sideline, Ole Miss pulled off a thrilling 39-34 win, advancing to the CFP semifinals.
Though Kiffin had expressed a desire to finish the season with his Ole Miss team, the university denied his request. In a social media post, Kiffin said that Rebels players had also pushed for him to remain through the postseason.
“Despite the team also asking him to allow me to keep coaching them so they could better maintain their high level of performance,” Kiffin wrote, “Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter denied my request.”
Kiffin’s exit from Ole Miss follows a successful tenure where he earned $9 million annually. LSU secured his services with a seven-year deal averaging $13 million per year, making him one of the highest-paid coaches in college football. The university also pledged full financial support for player compensation under the NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) system.
He takes over from Brian Kelly, who was fired midseason following a disappointing 49-25 loss to then-No. 3 Texas A&M. That defeat dropped LSU to 5-3 overall and 2-3 in the SEC, sealing Kelly’s fate.
During his tenure, Kelly posted a 34-14 record and reached the SEC Championship Game in 2022. However, his inability to lead LSU into the College Football Playoff ultimately led to the university making a change.
Kiffin now inherits a program seeking to return to national prominence — and wasted no time immersing himself in LSU athletics, showing support for the women’s basketball team even as his own Sugar Bowl legacy closed without him.
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