Ole Miss’ Lane Kiffin: His journey to becoming one of the nation’s elite coaches

Oxford, Miss. – Just a few short years ago, Ole Miss football was struggling and in disarray. The NCAA had cracked down hard on the program during then-head coach Hugh Freeze’s tenure. The Rebels were forced to vacate wins, reduce scholarships, and endure bowl bans and probation. Suffice it to say, those punishments had a domino effect, as Matt Luke and his program were then forced to deal with much of the fallout when he took over as head coach for Freeze.

When Coach Luke and Ole Miss parted ways in December, 2019, there is no getting around what a critical time it was for Rebel football.

Athletic Director Keith Carter knew he needed to get it right — and making a splash hire wouldn’t hurt. It is hard to imagine anyone making a bigger splash than the man who, at the time, was leading a Conference USA offensive juggernaut at Florida Atlantic: Lane Kiffin.

Where It All Started

Lane Kiffin’s coaching journey started way back in 1997 at Fresno State. Then in 1999, he worked as a graduate assistant at Colorado State, followed by a one-year stint with the Jacksonville Jaguars as a quality control assistant.  In 2001, Pete Carroll, the head coach of Southern California, offered Kiffin a position on his staff with the Trojans.

Kiffin served at USC as an assistant until 2007, and the Trojans racked up a 23-3 record during his tenure as offensive coordinator. That success garnered the attention of legendary owner Al Davis, and in January of 2007 Kiffin would be hired to coach Davis’ NFL’s Oakland Raiders.

At the time, Kiffin was the youngest head coach in modern NFL history. The Raiders would end the season at 4-12, and Al Davis let Kiffin go. But the future Ole Miss coach wouldn’t be down long, as he was formally introduced as the head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers in December of 2008.

The Train stops in Knoxville

When hired by the Vols, Kiffin would once again set the mark as the youngest coach, this time becoming the youngest active head coach in Division I FBS. But Kiffin’s time in Knoxville didn’t go as expected.

During the 2010 recruiting season, Kiffin abruptly left his job with the Volunteers to take what he considered to be his “dream job,” as he has called it — the head coaching position at USC, taking over for the recently departed Pete Carroll, who had moved on to the NFL.

Kiffin’s departure from Tennessee sparked riots by students, forcing Knoxville police and fire to make the scene when several small fires were set. His time at USC would be fraught with chaos as well, amplified by NCAA sanctions placed on the program from Pete Carroll’s tenure.

On September 28, 2013, Kiffin was fired when the team arrived back at Los Angeles International Airport following a 62-41 loss to Arizona State. He was infamously discharged on the airport tarmac and was replaced by Ed Orgeron as interim. Kiffin’s overall record at USC was 28-15.

Alabama And Kiffin’s Rise

After his release from USC, Kiffin found a home under Nick Saban as the offensive coordinator at Alabama. Saban made it clear he brought Kiffin and his brilliant offensive mind in to re-vamp the Tide’s offense — and who better to do so?

In 2014, Kiffin was a finalist for the Broyles Award, given to the nation’s top college football assistant. In January of 2017, Kiffin accepted the head coaching position at Florida Atlantic and was replaced as offensive coordinator at ‘Bama by Steve Sarkisian.

Kiffin rose to prominence while at FAU, leading the Owls to two ten-win seasons including an 11-3 season in his first year, which was the first time since 2008 the Owls had been over .500.

The Lane Train Rolls Into Oxford

Following a 49-6 win over UAB in the C-USA championship game in 2019, Keith Carter confirmed that Kiffin would be the next head coach at Ole Miss.

The decision was met with much fanfare, with Rebel fans loving the hire, while opposing fan bases weren’t so fond of it, likely because they knew what was coming their way. Kiffin’s initial contract was for four years for $16.2 million.

In his first year, the new Ole Miss coach would have to deal with something unprecedented — a worldwide pandemic that wreaked havoc on sports in unimaginable ways.

Recruiting had to be like flying blind. No athletes could make official visits, players were forced to take COVID tests and quarantine a certain length of time if testing positive — or if being in close proximity to other players who tested positive. Games were forfeited if too many athletes were unable to play.

A 10-game, conference-only schedule greeted Kiffin that first year, including the season-opener against No. 5 Florida. Welcome to the league, Coach.

Yet, throughout all that, Kiffin finished with a 5-5 record. What he would then do the following season would be record-breaking.

Kiffin proceeded to lead Ole Miss on a meteoric rise, finishing that 2021 season with a 10-2 record and a berth in the Sugar Bowl. That marked the first time in Ole Miss program history the Rebels had won ten regular-season games.

Becoming a legend in Oxford

Kiffin’s success in year two definitely caught the attention of all the outsiders and media ‘experts’ who had doubted him. The very people who criticized him before suddenly couldn’t stop talking about where he might coach next.

His name would come up in every major coaching vacancy that opened, from LSU to Oregon, even Tennessee.

And now, here we are in 2022 and Kiffin sits atop everyone’s list who is searching for a coach. And why wouldn’t he? His success in Oxford is quickly becoming the stuff of legends.

Kiffin’s 2022 Rebels are 8-1, 4-1 in the SEC, and have a legitimate shot at the SEC West title. They need a little help from Alabama this weekend against LSU, but there is definitely a chance.

Twitter’s King

Obviously his winning record — the Rebels are 18-3 in the last two years in regular-season games in the toughest division in the toughest conference of all of college football — is a huge part of Kiffin’s fame.

But, there’s more to it than that.

In 2022, recruiting is more social than ever. Prospective college athletes use Twitter to post highlight reels, follow coaches, and make increasingly intricate recruitment edits.

Kiffin is taking full advantage.

Nobody has more lovers — and haters — on social media than Lane Kiffin. His mentions generally have as many fans of opposing teams, specifically Tennessee, as they do Ole Miss fans.

The Ole Miss head coach has become a master of ‘trolling,’ tweeting out articles about himself and his players, taking subtle (or not-so-subtle) shots at opposing coaches, tagging other teams in his tweets, and approving of his moniker of the “portal king.”

Lane Kiffin is a transfer portal king, Nick Saban isn't and that's OK https://t.co/AbRRvTDNVW

— Lane Kiffin (@Lane_Kiffin) March 28, 2022

Team Kiffin/Saban vs. Team Jimbo

Kiffin’s most recent exploits involve a few direct shots at Texas A&M and head coach Jimbo Fisher. It’s no secret how the Ole Miss head coach felt after Fisher very publicly dubbed both Kiffin and Nick Saban “clowns” during the offseason, following their comments on A&M and its historic 2022 recruiting class.

“I joked the other day are they gonna implement a luxury tax on Texas A&M because what they’re paying the players is unbelievable,” Kiffin said after signing day, referring to the outrageously high NIL numbers reportedly attributed to the Aggies.

The comments irked Fisher, and last weekend’s matchup between the Rebels and the Aggies was “personal” according to Kiffin.

Kiffin: Jimbo jabs supplied 'real' fuel for Ole Miss https://t.co/vpsDhf8DPD

— Lane Kiffin (@Lane_Kiffin) October 30, 2022

The Auburn job

With a following of well over 500,000 on Twitter, Kiffin has no trouble being seen and heard. He tells it like it is and says what is on his mind. His refusal to resort to “coach-speak” in press conferences is absolutely refreshing.

His growth, on and off the field, has made him the hottest commodity on the coaching market, and everyone seems to want to poach him from Oxford.

On October 31st, Auburn fired head coach Bryan Harsin. It took just minutes for Kiffin’s name to be inserted directly into the search.

The top name to watch at Auburn: Lane Kiffin https://t.co/P0T7SHhp4h

— Brandon Marcello (@bmarcello) October 31, 2022

As for Kiffin, he wasn’t even aware of Harsin’s firing until he entered his weekly Monday press conference, but said he understands what Harsin is now going through.

Lane Kiffin on Bryan Harsin’s firing

Nobody knows what the future holds for Kiffin, Ole Miss, or Auburn. But one thing is for certain: winning changes things.

Kiffin’s name is being used now as a potential savior for struggling programs. It’s used as a rumor-starting circus by national media who would love nothing more than chaos in Oxford, Mississippi. It’s used by writers from rival teams who desperately want Kiffin out of Oxford so they can have a chance to beat the Rebels again.

When asked about the Auburn job again on Wednesday, Kiffin responded:

Lane Kiffin on the Auburn rumors

For Kiffin, it’s all just another day at the office. Ole Miss is getting more exposure than ever — including being ranked No. 11 in the first college football playoff rankings for 2022. 

The Rebels are flying high, and Kiffin isn’t done climbing yet. He’s got a huge rematch with Nick Saban and Alabama in two weeks that gives Ole Miss the chance to do something the Rebels haven’t done since 1962: win the SEC West.

You can bet the Rebels’ leader is not going to let the coaching searches of other schools derail what he and his staff and players have worked so hard to build. Here’s what he had to say Wednesday when asked about all the outside distractions:

Kiffin on outside noise: "I don't tell them (players) anything. We have a pro mindset here. Players have jobs to do, and coaches, and that's how we run our program… We have to prepare very well every day and be ready to play in the toughest conference in the toughest division."

— The Rebel Walk (@TheRebelWalk) November 2, 2022

Lane Kiffin and his Rebels return to the gridiron on November 12 to host Alabama at 2:30 on CBS.