Lane Kiffin Becomes a CFB Villain After Ditching Ole Miss for LSU

For the better part of this last decade, Lane Kiffin has done the unthinkable. The coach who was once famously fired on a California tarmac deep into the night—his professional rock bottom—completely rebuilt his image.

In a profession that rarely allows for successful second acts, he found redemption. He found hot yoga in his old age, along with some perceived humility along the way. He became a fixture on social media, saying things few other coaches would.

He was fun in a way that felt natural, all while essentially starting over. When given an opportunity to be the head coach at FAU, Kiffin found life. And most recently and most noteworthy, he brought Ole Miss football to unimaginable highs, guiding this team to the cusp of a College Football Playoff appearance.

And now he's gone to LSU, and the goodwill that has been built up along the way, at least for many, will be gone with him.

A great coaching rebirth will now enter its next chapter, which will be filled with overwhelming expectations and considerable venom considering how the last few weeks have transpired.

In many respects, the charm is gone.

As footage of Kiffin's planes departing for Baton Rouge spread across social media, Kiffin finally broke his silence with a statement, confirming that he would be LSU's next coach.

Kiffin reiterated what was largely being reported, that his request to still coach Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl was denied. Given the fact that these teams regularly compete for the same recruits—let alone in the same conference—it's hard to blame the Rebels for not agreeing.

Before Kiffin made the news official, details on the situation ran rampant. From the notion that Kiffin gave his coaches until the end of the day to make up their mind if they wanted a spot on his future staff, to threats of poaching the roster and staff if he wasn't allowed to coach Ole Miss in the postseason, to reports that players were "unhappy" with the way Kiffin had handled this process.

Given the emotional nature of these decisions, none of this is particularly surprising. It's also difficult to gauge what exactly went on behind the scenes. In the days and weeks ahead, more details will emerge, including more perspective from Kiffin himself, that will allow others to make their own judgments.

The opportunity at LSU, of course, is a great one. Mark Schlabach and Thamel of ESPN reported early Sunday that the expectation was that Kiffin would sign a deal that paid him roughly $12 million annually over seven years, making him one of the highest-paid coaches in the country.

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Beyond that, the Tigers were expected to make serious commitments to the assistant coaching pool and NIL, which is vital in today's CFB landscape. In that landscape, LSU has the facilities, environment, finances and support to be an elite team. It's not difficult to see why Kiffin would be enticed to leave.

Regardless, most won't care. Kiffin changed public perception because he won at FAU and Ole Miss—finding success at places where success isn't always assumed.

That, in many ways, was part of his renewed charm. Now, he will be asked to win big at all times.

Every move, good or bad, will be scrutinized. Every loss, no matter the margin, will cut deeper than any loss he's experienced over the past eight years. Success won't be celebrated in the way it has been over the past eight years; success will be expected.

By signing up for this job, you're signing up for a new football life. Kiffin is deeply aware of this, of course, which is likely why he thought it over. What might not resonate with him for some time, however, is how much the perception of him is about to change.

In some ways, this is deeply unfair. A man at the top of his profession was offered a lucrative opportunity, which was ultimately a product of his success. This is a natural evolution, and those breakups are never kind on the parties involved.

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In other ways, this whole week has felt haphazardly assembled, which is a shame considering how much effort Kiffin has seemingly put into altering the perception.

Given the job and the high-profile nature of the hire—not to mention the reality that his former team will go onto the College Football Playoff without him—we're left feeling somewhat empty and unfulfilled.

Indeed, Kiffin was just gifted a small fortune and the keys to one of the best jobs in college football. But at what cost?

Given everything else that has seemingly become important to a man of great depth, which he certainly is, it's hard not to take inventory of how much damage has been done.

If Kiffin wins, and he probably will, the process of yet another rebirth will begin again. Time heals a lot of wounds, no matter how fresh they might feel for so many, and no one knows that better than him.