Lane Kiffin is officially bidding farewell to Oxford, though his departure seems to be under less than ideal circumstances.

The college football coach has finally addressed the swirling rumors about whether he would remain with Ole Miss or transition to LSU, amid the latter’s persistent recruitment efforts.

As a highly sought-after figure in the college football coaching arena, Kiffin was a prime target for several programs in need of leadership. LSU, in particular, had been openly eager to lure him away from the Ole Miss Rebels after letting go of Brian Kelly last month.

After a vacancy at head coach lasting since October 26, LSU now has their answer: Lane Kiffin is indeed making the move.

Following weeks of speculation, the 50-year-old coach disclosed on Sunday his decision to depart Ole Miss for the Tigers. He described the choice as ‘difficult’ given his nearly six-year tenure in Oxford, Mississippi.

‘After a lot of prayer and time spent with family, I made the difficult decision to accept the head coaching position at LSU,’ Kiffin said in a statement. 

Lane Kiffin has finally revealed whether he will be staying with Ole Miss or joining LSU 

The college football head coach confirmed that he has accepted the job coaching the Tigers

Kiffin had been in the midst of his sixth season with the Rebels, guiding them to a 55-19 record during that time. Ole Miss also finished finished in the top 15 three times, and had double-digit wins in four of his seasons.

And Kiffin confirmed the countless reports claiming that he had wanted to stay in Mississippi to see out his final season – despite preparing to bolt for Baton Rouge – something which the Ole Miss hierarchy denied him.   

‘I was hoping to complete a historic six season run with this year’s team by leading Ole Miss through the playoffs, capitalizing on the team’s incredible success and their commitment to finish strong, and investing everything into a playoff run with guardrails in place to protect the program in any areas of concern,’ he explained. 

‘My request to do so was denied by Keith Carter despite the team also asking him to allow me to keep coaching them so they could better maintain their high level of performance. Unfortunately, that means Friday’s Egg Bowl was my last game coaching the Rebels,’ he continued, appearing to take a swipe at his former employers. 

‘While I am looking forward to a new start with a unique opportunity at LSU, I will forever cherish the incredible six years I spent at Ole Miss and will be rooting hard for the team to complete their mission and bring a championship to Oxford.’

Ole Miss confirmed that defensive coordinator Pete Golding had been promoted to head coach following Kiffin’s departure.

 Players were reportedly informed of Golding’s new position during a Sunday afternoon meeting. ESPN’s Marty Smith reported that one Rebel left the meeting and yelled, ‘It’s the Pete Golding era!’ 

In an extensive release detailing Goldings achievements at Ole Miss and his previous coaching roles with Alabama and UTSA among other programs, Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics Keith Carter hailed the coach as ‘exceptional.’ 

The Tigers were reportedly offering Kiffin a stunning $90million deal to lure him to Baton Rouge

The Tigers have been pursuing Kiffin since firing Brian Kelly (pictured) last month  

‘Coach Kiffin and I met yesterday, and he informed us that he is accepting the head coaching position at another school. For our program to begin preparing for its future – both the short and long term, he will be stepping away from the team immediately,’ Carter said. 

‘With this development, we could not be more excited to announce Pete Golding as the next head coach of the Ole Miss Rebels. His tenure will begin immediately as he leads our program in the pursuit of a national title. Today’s team meeting was a clear indicator of his ability to galvanize our squad. All of our players and coaches are ecstatic and ready to lock arms for a playoff run.

‘From the moment he arrived in Oxford, we quickly realized Pete is a coach who could not only lead a program but elevate it to championship status. He has demonstrated an exceptional football mind, but more than that, he has shown a deep understanding of our culture, values and what it means to be part of the Ole Miss family. Simply put, Pete is one of us.

‘Pete’s leadership, relentless energy and proven track record of building top defenses have made a tremendous impact on our program. In addition, he recruits at an elite level and has shown an unwavering commitment to developing young men once they arrive on campus. He brings a vision rooted in toughness, innovation and accountability, and he is fully prepared to guide this program into its next era of success.’

Meanwhile, Golding thanked Carter and Rebels Chiefs for ‘placing their trust’ in him and he branded his promotion as an ‘honor.’ 

He said: ‘Ole Miss Football is special. Since the day I arrived, I’ve felt the passion, pride and unwavering support of Rebel Nation. This is a place where expectations are high, and football is woven into the fabric of the community. Our mission moving forward is clear: we will play with toughness, discipline and relentless effort in everything we do. 

‘We will recruit at the highest level, develop our players on and off the field, and compete every single day to bring championships to Oxford. Most importantly, we will represent this university with class and integrity.

‘To the Ole Miss family, thank you for your support and belief. I’m excited for what’s ahead, and I can’t wait to attack this challenge together.’

Ole Miss confirmed that defensive coordinator Pete Golding had been promoted to head coach

Golding is pictured with Kiffin on the sidelines during the Rebels’ game against Mercer 

Sunday’s decision comes after reports suggested that LSU had pulled out all the stops to lure Kiffin to Baton Rouge, including being on the verge of offering him a stunning $90million deal.

Earlier in the day, a report from Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger also claimed that LSU had sent two private planes down to Oxford, Mississippi, where Kiffin and his family live, in the hope of enticing him to accept their offer. 

The eye-watering offer reportedly had the blessing of Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, who publicly blasted Kelly and athletic director Scott Woodward – leading to the latter’s departure from the school shortly after. 

If true, this marks a surprising turn after Landry previously expressed his unwillingness to spend big on a head coach for the program.

LSU is also in the process of fighting to pay the reported $54m buyout for Kelly by seeking to fire him ‘with cause’. This comes after the former coach sued the school’s board of supervisors.

Late on Friday night, Pro Football Talk had reported that not only had Kiffin made his decision but that he was already lining up his coaching staff for the gig at LSU. 

However, as recently as Ole Miss’s Friday night game, Kiffin admitted that his mind still wasn’t set.

After guiding the Rebels to a 38-19 win over Mississippi State in his final game in charge, Kiffin claimed he is yet to make a decision on his future.

‘No, I haven’t (made up my mind),’ he told ESPN’s McGregor on the broadcast. ‘I’ve got a lot of praying to do to figure that out tomorrow, but right now, I’m just going to go enjoy these players.

‘I told them last night, you’re going to win your 11th game, and all I want to do is experience joy watching you, and that’s what I’m about to do.’

The Florida Gators are reportedly finalizing a deal to hire Tulane’s head coach Jon Sumrall 

Furious Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin was seen squaring up to a reporter on Friday

The Florida Gators had previously been another suitor in the race for Kiffin until the program switched its focus to Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall.

The struggling Gators are reportedly expected to sign Sumrall to a a six-year deal with an average annual salary of $7.5 million with Sumrall.

Ole Miss has all but sealed its first ever appearance in the College Football Playoff, with a win over their in-state rivals all essentially confirming the school’s spot in the 12-team field. 

Kiffin has been in charge of the Rebels for six seasons and has guided the Rebels to at least 10 victories in four of the past five seasons. He has a 54-19 record at Ole Miss.

And tensions have boiled over amid speculation that he could abandon the Rebels in favor of an SEC rival. 

On Friday, Kiffin was caught squaring up to a reporter who branded him a ‘h**’ amid the reports that he was considering jumping ship for LSU.

As he left the field at Davis Wade Stadium, the 50-year-old stopped to confront The Ole Miss Spirit reporter Ben Garrett.

As rumors continue to swirl about his potential move to LSU, Garrett said about Kiffin on a podcast earlier this week: ‘Can’t turn a h** into a housewife. H**s don’t act right.’

‘You wanna walk in here and call me a h**? Well see how it goes,’ Kiffin is heard saying to him in the video, which was captured by Outkick’s Trey Wallace.