Raiders' Pete Carroll Endorses Lane Kiffin at LSU After 'Tremendous Time' at Ole Miss

New LSU head coach Lane Kiffin has gotten the stamp of approval from legendary coach Pete Carroll.

Carroll said Kiffin had a "tremendous time" at Ole Miss and said "he will bring that same passion and creative mindset to LSU."

Carroll knows Kiffin well, as the two worked together at USC in the early 2000s. Carroll served as the Trojans' head coach from 2001 to 2009, and Kiffin was on staff from 2001 to 2006, serving various roles, including offensive coordinator.

While it's been a while since Kiffin has worked for Carroll, he still considers him a mentor. Kiffin said that Carroll was one of the people he went to for advice when deciding whether to stay with Ole Miss or leave for LSU.

"This was really hard," he said. "My heart was here, but I talked to some mentors, Coach (Pete) Carroll, Coach (Nick) Saban and Coach Carroll said, 'Your dad would tell you to go, man. Take the shot. You accomplished a lot here.'"

Now, after leaning on the advice of Carroll, Kiffin will enter new territory as the Tigers' head coach.

Kiffin, 50, established himself as one of the top coaches in the SEC during his time at Ole Miss. He led the Rebels to four seasons with 10 or more wins, including an 11-win season in 2025, which was the first in program history. He also helped Ole Miss secure its first College Football Playoff bid in 2025, though he won't be a part of that CFP run.

The pressure will be on for Kiffin in Baton Rouge. After all, he reportedly will earn $12 million annually on a seven-year deal after being the most popular name in this year's coaching carousel.

Carroll thinks Kiffin has what it takes to lead LSU to glory, and he'll look to live up to Carroll's words of praise.