During the final weeks of the 2025 regular season, the college football world was engrossed with a story that had as many twists and turns as any soap opera.
Lane Kiffin’s departure from Mississippi, and the weeks of will-he-or-won’t-he speculation that led up to it, was seldom straightforward, rarely boring and occasionally irritating. As he was helping guide the Rebels to their best season in generations, Kiffin was being perpetually linked to vacancies at Florida and LSU. With one single decision, Kiffin could tip the balance of power in the SEC. It was just a matter of whether he’d stay in Oxford, Mississippi, where he had transformed Ole Miss from SEC also-ran into national power, or take on the challenge of leading one of the conference’s
historic heavyweights.
Eventually, he chose LSU, giving the Tigers the kind of splashy hire they craved after firing Brian Kelly eight games into his fourth season at the school.
The move instantly turned Kiffin into a pariah back at a school and in a state where he was once a conquering hero. He’ll be encountered with that unbridled, long-simmering hate this weekend, when he returns to Ole Miss for No. 7 LSU’s game against the No. 9 Rebels at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford.
While Kiffin’s homecoming almost certainly won’t come with some of the more outlandish predictions of chaos, it will create the kind of scene that’s been rarely seen in the history of the sport.
Heading into the matchup, here’s a look back at the chain of events that led to Kiffin’s messy exit from Ole Miss last year:
Timeline of Lane Kiffin's move from Ole Miss to LSU
Dec. 19, 2023
After a 10-2 regular season, only the Rebels’ fourth double-digit-win season since 1972, Kiffin and Ole Miss agree to a contract extension. Terms of the deal are not disclosed. Kiffin had been linked to the open job at Auburn the previous offseason before ultimately staying in Oxford.
Oct. 19, 2025
Florida fires coach Billy Napier after a 3-4 start in his fourth season at the school. Kiffin’s name is instantly connected to the job.
Oct. 25, 2025
Though Kiffin remains mum on the Florida opening when asked about it, he’s less restrained in private. After a 34-26 victory against Oklahoma improves Ole Miss’ record to 7-1, and with a manageable schedule ahead, Kiffin turns to defensive coordinator Pete Golding on the field and asks him “Are you ready to go to Gainesville?” according to author John Talty’s newly released book “Lane Being Lane: The Story of Lane Kiffin, College Football's Agent of Chaos.”
Oct. 26, 2025
One day after a 49-25 loss drops his team to 5-3, Brian Kelly is fired by LSU with four games remaining in his fourth season with the Tigers. The move comes with a $54 million buyout.
As it was with Florida, Kiffin is immediately reported to be a top candidate for the vacancy, setting up a bidding war between two of the SEC’s most decorated programs of the past 30 years.
Oct. 27, 2025
During an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” on ESPN, Kiffin says he won’t be motivated by money when making a decision on his coaching future. "I've seen too many examples in life where money does not buy happiness," he said. "So I'm never going to make a decision off of money, nor do I care about it."
Nov. 10, 2025
During a news conference, and with Florida set to travel to Oxford to take on the Rebels, Kiffin is asked about what makes a good college coaching job. His answer is revealing, as he outlines the inherent advantages that larger, more historically successful programs have.
"There are still things where you're gonna struggle to beat those guys because kids get recruited, and they see the size of stadiums, traditions, Heismans and national championships," he said. "Then your location to talent. I think all of those are in there."
Nov. 15, 2025
Ole Miss improves to 10-1 with a 34-24 home victory against a Florida team playing under an interim head coach. Among those in a record crowd of 68,138 at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium are Florida fans who make their desires heard, chanting “We Want Lane” late in the game. The chant is easily heard on the television broadcast.
Nov. 16-17, 2025
With Florida and LSU still looming as possible destinations, members of Kiffin’s family are taken on a private jet to Gainesville, Florida, one day and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the next. When later asked about it, Kiffin says “I’m not talking on any speculation or stories of things having to do with other jobs. I've said that probably 10 times.”
Nov. 19, 2025
Kiffin denies reports that an ultimatum has been issued for him to make a decision on his coaching future, saying on “The Pat McAfee Show” that it’s “absolutely not true.”
“There’s been no ultimatum, anything like that at all. ... We’re having a blast,” Kiffin said. “I love it here.”
Nov. 21, 2025
After a meeting between Kiffin, Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter and university chancellor Glenn Boyce, a statement from Carter is issued that says a decision from Kiffin is expected the day after the Rebels’ Nov. 28 Egg Bowl rivalry matchup against Mississippi State.
"Despite the outside noise, Coach Kiffin is focused on preparing our team for the Egg Bowl, and together, we want to ensure that our players and coaches can concentrate fully on next Friday's game,” the statement read. “This team is on the cusp of an unprecedented season, and it's imperative they feel the support of the Ole Miss family in the week ahead.”
Nov. 28, 2025
Ole Miss finishes off an 11-1 regular season with a 38-19 road win against Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl. After the game, Kiffin angrily confronts a reporter on the field who, during a podcast appearance, had quoted a Ludacris song when describing Kiffin’s predicament.
That same day, Florida reportedly moves on to other candidates in its coaching search, setting up a battle between old rivals Ole Miss and LSU for the highly coveted coach.
Nov. 29, 2025
Kiffin meets again with Carter and Boyce. He informs them he’s taking the LSU job, bringing an end to his prolonged decision-making drama, but the reveal merely serves as the appetizer for a negotiation. Kiffin expresses a desire to continue coaching Ole Miss through the upcoming College Football Playoff. During a tense back-and-forth, Kiffin was “essentially demanding” to finish the season with the Rebels while threatening to poach Ole Miss players and coaches if he couldn’t, according to a report from On3 Sports. University brass informed him he would not be allowed to remain with the team for the playoff.
Nov. 30, 2025
At 2:03 p.m. local time, Kiffin announces he’s leaving Ole Miss for LSU. In a statement, he says that he wanted to continue coaching the team, but that his wishes were denied by Carter. Kiffin also claims that the team had asked Carter to allow Kiffin to continue leading it, but according to a report from ESPN last December, Ole Miss players were more concerned about their position coaches staying and had “grown tired of the drama surrounding Kiffin.”
Later that day, the Rebels announce they’ve elevated defensive coordinator Pete Golding to be the full-time head coach.
As Kiffin leaves Oxford on a private jet bound for LSU, Ole Miss fans gather at the airport to jeer and berate their now-former head coach.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How did the Lane Kiffin-to-LSU drama play out? Let's take it step by step
