OFFICIAL: Ole Miss Set to Board the “Lane Train”

By Adam Brown
Sports Editor
adam.brown@hottytoddy.com

Per sources close to the administration, Ole Miss has hopped aboard the “Lane Train” after hiring Lane Kiffin as its newest head coach. Sources say Athletic Director Keith Carter is set to make the announce later tonight that Kiffin will be the 39th coach for the Rebels.

Kiffin comes to Oxford after three years at Florida Atlantic University. On Saturday, FAU won its second C-USA championship in the last three years. The Owls are 10-3 this season and Kiffin is 25-13 in his tenure at FAU.

“I couldn’t be more excited to welcome Coach Kiffin to the Ole Miss family,” Carter said. “As we entered this process, we were looking for energy, innovativeness and a program builder who could excite our student-athletes and fans. Coach Kiffin checked every box and is a home run for our program. I look forward to locking arms with him to take Ole Miss Football to a championship level.”

Kiffin replaces Matt Luke who was relieved of his duties last Sunday after the Egg Bowl. Luke closed out his tenure at the helm of his alma mater with a 21-20 loss to Mississippi State and a 15-21 overall record.

The Lincoln, Nebraska native got his head coaching start with the Oakland Raiders (2007-08). With a record of 5-15 in just 20 games at the age of 31, he was the youngest head coach of the NFL modern era. The Raiders offense improved in Kiffin’s first year, up 7.2 points per game.

Kiffin began his college coaching career at Tennessee (’09) and then transferred to the University of Southern California (2010-13). Throughout his eight years of being a college head coach, he has accrued an overall record of 60-34.

In one season with Kiffin at the helm of the Rocky Top, the Vols finished second in the SEC East with a 7-6 record and an appearance in the Chick-fil-A Bowl. The Volunteers’ offense jumped at least 34 places in every national statistical category over the 2008 figures. Tennessee improved from 17.3 to 29.3 points per game while going from 268.8 to 383.5 yards per game in total offense.

To start his tenure at USC, the Trojans were on NCAA sanctions but went on to finish 8-5 (’10), 10-2 (’11), and 7-6 (’12). He was fired midway through the 2013 season with a 3-2 record.

After being let go from USC, he was hired as an assistant at Alabama. There, he helped mentor quarterbacks Blake Sims (2014), Jake Coker (2015) and Jalen Hurts (2016). Hurts led the Crimson Tide to a 13-1 season, an SEC title and a spot in the national championship game.

Kiffin will officially be announced on Monday at a press conference at 1 p.m. in the Pavilion.