Lane Kiffin. Photo by: Jonathan Mailhes
LANE KIFFIN
I
n a whirlwind transition that has electrified the LSU faithful, Lane Kiffin has emerged as the driving force behind the Tigers’ offseason resurgence, earning recognition as January’s LSU Tiger of the Month.
The 50-year-old Kiffin, hired Nov. 30 after a dramatic departure from Ole Miss, wasted no time imprinting his high-octane style on the LSU football program. Introduced Dec. 1 in a packed Tiger Stadium club room, he pledged to restore LSU to “the best program in all of college football.”
Since arriving, Kiffin has masterminded aggressive moves in recruiting and the roster, retaining key defensive coordinator Blake Baker and assembling a staff blending holdovers with trusted allies. His early recruiting push culminated in a top-tier 2026 class, headlined by in-state five-stars.
Fans, hungry for revival after a 7-5 season under fired coach Brian Kelly (5-3) and interim Frank Wilson (2-2), have embraced Kiffin’s energy and innovation. Season ticket sales in December alone increased by 15,000 sales and donations are also reportedly skyrocketing as Kiffin is symbolizing renewed hope in Death Valley from the git-go.
For injecting passion and momentum into LSU football, Kiffin stands as January’s Tiger of the Month.
L ane Kiffin arrived at LSU on a dank Sunday night, Nov. 30, 2025, as the most accomplished head football coach ever hired by LSU … on the day of the hiring.
Nick Saban became the greatest coach in LSU history once the games started as he won LSU’s first national championship since 1958 in 2003, but he arrived not as accomplished as Kiffin is now.
Saban was 48 when LSU hired him, and his best two seasons were 9-2 at Michigan State and Toledo. Still, Saban was the most accomplished football coach hire in LSU history at the time. Because he gradually turned around a major program in a major conference amid scholarship limitations from NCAA probation, and he was up for the New York Giants head coaching job in 1997.
Brian Kelly was the previous greatest LSU football hire at the time of hire by then-athletic director Scott Woodward. He turned around an average Notre Dame with seven double-digit-win seasons in 12 years with a BCS national championship appearance and two College Football Playoffs.
But Kelly was 60 when he came to LSU, and we know now his best years were behind him. Maybe Woodward should have seen that.
Kiffin is 50, and his best years appear to be ahead. We will find out. But at this point, his four double-digit win seasons in just six years after quickly rebuilding an average Ole Miss are better than what Kelly had done. Kiffin’s turnaround was quicker and made history.
Ole Miss had just two 10-win seasons from 1972-2020. Notre Dame had 10 double-digit win seasons between 1972 and 2010 when Kelly took over and had won three national titles from 1973-88.
LSU national champion coach Les Miles arrived in 2005 after impressively turning around Oklahoma State, but his best was 9-4 in 2003. Ed Orgeron was 10-25 in three Ole Miss seasons and 11-4 as an interim coach at USC and LSU when he took over in 2016 before winning it all in 2019.
Among LSU’s previous successful coaches, Paul Dietzel and Charles McClendon were assistants before becoming LSU’s head coach. Bill Arnsparger was 7-28 with the Giants in his only head coaching job.
Kiffin appears to have grown and matured through his previous five head coaching jobs. He was the first coach in Ole Miss history to win 10 regular season games in 2021 and first to win 11 in the 2025 regular season. When Ole Miss beat Tulane in the playoffs on Dec. 20, it won 12 in a season for the first time ever … with Kiffin’s players and Kiffin’s offensive coaches.
Regardless of what Ole Miss says, Kiffin’s mark is all over one of Ole Miss’ greatest season ever in 2025-26, or its best ever.
“We told Lane LSU was not just a place to come win games,” said LSU athletic director Verge Ausberry, who hired him. “He’s done that already. We told him it was a place to contend for national championships year in and year out.”
Ausberry also told Kiffin, “I’m going to leave you alone and let you coach the team.”
That sold Kiffin as much as anything.
Now, like Nick Saban before him, stay out of his way.
The national championship Lane Train is whistling.
Glenn Guilbeau is the editor of Tiger Rag and a columnist. A member of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, he previously was a national columnist at OutKick.com/FOX News and covered LSU for USA Today Network and the Baton Rouge Advocate. Reach him at glenn@tigerrag.com.
MAILBAG
OLE MISS FANS ACTUALLY BELIEVE THE REBELS STOLE FRANK WILSON AND AUSTIN THOMAS FROM LSU
F an is short for fanatic. When someone is so emotionally tied to another person, entity or college football team, he or she has trouble with reality.
This was the case when Ole Miss hired LSU interim football coach Frank Wilson and general manager Austin Thomas – a pair of great recruiters - “away” from LSU just before Christmas.
The truth is new LSU football coach Lane Kiffin did not want to hire either one of them. And that was obvious and widely reported weeks before they found other jobs at Ole Miss.
But there was this from @Taydean on Twitter on Dec. 17: “Ole Miss out here fleecing LSU,” regarding the two hires. Many other tweets from Ole Miss fans shared the same mistake.
@LSUscoop put the Wilson hire by Ole Miss in perspective well. Recruiting aces like Wilson and Thomas are not as significant in the NIL era.
“I’m disappointed that Frank Wilson wasn’t retained, but NIL has rendered recruiting largely irrelevant. Lane Kiffin will get the personnel he wants based on his gravitas and NIL funds.”
Ole Miss fans also went after LSU fans on Twitter as the Rebels’ home playoff game approached.
“It’s amazing how badly LSU wants to be like Ole Miss,” wrote @MarkBall58. “You’ve got a lot of catching up to do. Playoffs! Oxford! Something that has never happened in Baton Rouge!”
@KimSylvest1 responded for LSU fans with, “We will never wish we were Ole Miss.”
TIGER TIDBITS
A NOVEMBER TO REMEMBER
Lane Kiffin’s Name, Image & Likeness went up in lights at Tiger Stadium on the night he was announced as LSU’s new football coach on Nov. 30. Photo by: Jonathan Mailhes
I n a blockbuster move that literally mesmerized college football fans everywhere, electrified LSU fans, and drove Ole Miss fans to tears and vitriol (literally) the Tigers landed Lane Kiffin as their new head football coach on November 30, 2025, pulling one of college football’s premier offensive minds from rival Ole Miss just as the Rebels prepared for their first College Football Playoff appearance.
Kiffin, fresh off guiding Ole Miss to a program-record 11-1 season and 55 wins over six years — including four 10-win campaigns and unprecedented success in the transfer portal and NIL era — chose LSU for its championship pedigree, passionate fanbase, and elite resources.
“This place is different,” Kiffin said at his introductory press conference on December 1 in Tiger Stadium’s South Stadium Club. He praised the “unique opportunity” to lead a program that has claimed national titles under three of its last four permanent coaches.
LSU athletic director Verge Ausberry, who took over amid turmoil following Brian Kelly’s midseason firing on October 26 after a 49-25 home loss to Texas A&M, identified Kiffin as the top target from the start.
“Lane is a proven winner who has thrived in this new era of college athletics,” Ausberry said, highlighting Kiffin’s innovative offense and recruiting prowess.
A seven-year deal worth around $13 million annually with bonuses makes Kiffin one of the highest-paid coaches in the sport.
The courtship intensified in mid-November, with discreet interviews and family visits to Baton Rouge. Kiffin noted a “great call” with Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry and credited mentors Nick Saban and Pete Carroll for encouraging him to take the job.
Despite interest from Florida and a stealth pursuit by Florida State, LSU emerged as the clear choice once Ausberry stabilized the administration.
Tigers fans, frustrated after Kelly’s 34-14 tenure yielded no SEC titles, celebrated the hire as a return to explosive, modern football.
Kiffin arrives with select offensive staff from Ole Miss, while retaining key defensive coaches like coordinator Blake Baker.
Interim coach Frank Wilson handled the bowl game, allowing Kiffin to focus on 2026 recruiting and staff assembly.
Excitement is building for Kiffin’s debut, with LSU’s vast talent pool and Death Valley atmosphere poised to amplify his high-powered schemes.
As one Baton Rouge-based booster put it: “Finally, an offensive mind to bring us back to the top.”
FOOTBALL: BOWL PREP AND POSTSEASON HONORS AMID TRANSITION
LSU football wrapped up a challenging 2025 regular season at 7-5, with interim coach Frank Wilson at the helm for the final stretch.
The Tigers accepted a bid to the Kinder’s Texas Bowl on December 27 in Houston, facing No. 21 Houston (9-3) from the Big 12. This marked LSU’s second consecutive Texas Bowl appearance and fourth overall, with a 2-1 record in previous games.
It was a chance for seniors to end on a high note and showcase talent one last time.
Other than that, it was expected to be a ho-hum, meaningless game and an end to one of the most disappointing seasons in LSU football history because of the high expectations fired LSU coach Brian Kelly hyped up in preseason.
Transfer portal activity intensified mid-month, reshaping the roster.
Notable departures included freshman offensive tackle Carius Curne, who started five games and showed promise on the line, running back Kaleb Jackson, and quarterback Colin Hurley. Wide receivers also explored options as the team prepares for massive changes.
All-SEC accolades highlighted strong individual performances despite the team’s record. Freshmen DJ Pickett (cornerback) and Silas Hall (long snapper) earned spots on the Freshman All-SEC Team. Cornerback Mansoor Delane garnered multiple All-America honors, including First-Team nods, underscoring the defense’s strength -- leading the SEC with 17 interceptions. Safety AJ Haulcy was also named a 1st Team All-American, as well.
The 2026 SEC football schedule generated excitement among fans, featuring a loaded home slate with Alabama, Texas, Texas A&M, and Mississippi State in Tiger Stadium, plus a season-opener rematch against Clemson. Season ticket prices remain unchanged. Additionally, LSU Athletics extended its long-term partnership with Nike through 2036 on December 11, including leadership in Nike’s new Blue Ribbon Elite NIL program to empower athletes across sports.
The undefeated and No. 5 LSU women’s basketball team has led the nation in scoring since early in the season with more than 100 points a game. Photo by: LSU Athletics
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: PERFECT RECORD ROLLS ON
Coach Kim Mulkey’s No. 5 Tigers remained unbeaten at 12-0, showcasing depth and dominance throughout December. The month opened with a gritty 93-77 road win over Duke in the ACC/SEC Challenge on December 4. Trailing early, LSU erupted with balanced scoring—six players in double figures, led by Flau’jae Johnson’s 18 points—for a comeback victory.
A 126-62 blowout of New Orleans followed, where sophomore Kate Koval exploded for a career-high 22 points on perfect shooting. Freshman Grace Knox recorded her first double-double. In New Orleans for the Compete 4 Cause Classic on December 13, the Tigers handled Louisiana Tech -- Mulkey’s alma mater -- 87-61. Johnson and Mikaylah Williams led a strong offensive effort.
The annual Field Trip Game on December 16 drew nearly 9,000 schoolchildren to the PMAC, where LSU crushed Morgan State 91-33. Defensive pressure forced turnovers, and balanced scoring kept the momentum rolling. Contributions from MiLaysia Fulwiley, Amiya Joyner, and emerging freshmen highlighted the team’s depth. LSU consistently scored more than 90 points in most outings, solidifying their status as a national title contender heading into holiday games.
MEN’S BASKETBALL: FINDING RHYTHM WITH KEY WINS
Coach Matt McMahon’s squad improved to 9-1, navigating December with resilience and standout performances. An ACC/SEC Challenge overtime win at Boston College on December 3 (78-69) showcased clutch play, going perfect from the line in extra time despite injuries. A tough 82-58 loss to Texas Tech on December 7 in the Coast to Coast Challenge exposed three-point struggles. The Tigers rebounded impressively in New Orleans’ Compete 4 Cause Classic on December 13, defeating SMU 89-77 for their first Quad 1 victory. Marquel Sutton dominated with 23 points and 12 rebounds, Max Mackinnon drained six threes for 22 points, Dedan Thomas Jr. dished 12 assists, and Pablo Tamba added a double-double. Efficient shooting (62% overall) and paint dominance propelled the win, signaling improved rhythm and depth as SEC play looms.
• Volleyball: Junior Jurnee Robinson received 2025 AVCA All-American Honorable Mention. Four players -- Lauren Brooker, Jessica Jones, Aly Kirkhoff, and Angelina Lee - -earned CSC Academic All-District honors, a program record.
• Gymnastics Preview: A special premiere of the SEC Storied film “The Fighting Tiger,” honoring legendary coach D-D Breaux, is set for early 2026, with a public event in the PMAC.
• Academic Excellence: Football’s Harlem Berry and men’s basketball’s Pablo Tamba and Marquel Sutton were named CCACSA Student-Athletes of the Month for December.
The LSU men also got off to a rocking start and picked up a critical Quad 1 win for the Tigers’ NCAA Tournament chances by beating SMU in New Orleans on Dec. 13. Photo by: LSU Athletics
LSU GYMNASTICS ENTERS 2026 RANKED NO. 2 IN WCGA PRESEASON POLL
Jay Clark’s gymnastics team will open the 2026 season ranked No. 2 in the Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics Association (WCGA) preseason coaches poll, earning 1,859 points and five first-place votes.
This marks the second consecutive year starting at No. 2 and the third straight season ranked No. 3 or higher.
Defending national champion Oklahoma claimed the top spot with 1,960 points and 39 first-place votes, followed by Florida (1,804 points, 4 first-place votes), UCLA (1,784, 4), and Utah (1,751, 1) to round out the top five.
Notably, all nine SEC programs landed in the top 12, underscoring the conference’s dominance. Under Clark, entering his sixth season, the Tigers build on momentum from back-to-back SEC Championships and a 2025 regular-season title.
LSU faces one of the nation’s toughest schedules, with multiple clashes against preseason top-15 foes.
The season kicks off January 10 at the third-annual Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad in West Valley City, Utah, pitting the Tigers against No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 4 UCLA, and No. 5 Utah.
Five home meets highlight the slate, including the January 23 opener vs. No. 9 Kentucky, plus SEC battles against No. 11 Auburn, No. 8 Alabama, and No. 10 Arkansas. Road tests include No. 7 Missouri (Jan. 30), Oklahoma (Feb. 20), and No. 3 Florida (March 8).
NEXT LEVEL TIGERS
LSU national championship and Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Joe Burrow from the 2019 season has struggled to stay healthy during his NFL career. Photo by: Cincinatti Bengals
JOE BURROW’S CURRENT SITUATION EERILY SIMILAR TO BERT JONES’
A nyone who’s covered enough SEC wars knows when a quarterback at any level is facing something heavier than a single bad night.
On a frigid December evening in 2025, inside the echoing locker room at Paycor Stadium, Joe Burrow sat alone on the bench. His helmet lay discarded beside him, his gaze fixed on the concrete floor as if reading tomorrow’s headlines. Ravens 24, Bengals 0.
His first professional shutout. Two interceptions.
A season that began with Super Bowl chatter now lay buried at 4-10, playoff hopes extinguished.
Louisiana fans remember the ascent all too well.
The kid from southeast Ohio transferred to LSU, claimed the Heisman, and orchestrated the greatest single-season performance by any Tiger quarterback en route to an undefeated national championship in 2019. Drafted first overall by Cincinnati, he shattered rookie records and led the Bengals to the Super Bowl in just his second year. Pure brilliance.
But on this night, the cold seeped into his surgically repaired toe, and a deeper weariness pressed down—one built over years of setbacks now resting squarely on his shoulders.
The comparisons began surfacing after his candid midweek remarks: “If it’s not fun, then what am I doing it for?”
The words evoked memories of Andrew Luck, the gifted Colts quarterback who stunned the league by retiring at 29 in 2019, drained by an endless injury-rehab-pain cycle.
Yet for LSU faithful, the sharper parallel was Bert Jones.
Old footage shows Jones, LSU’s star of the early 1970s, taken second overall in 1973, transforming a struggling Baltimore franchise into a perennial contender with three consecutive division titles. He earned MVP honors in 1976, firing deep balls with ice-cold poise while dominating his era-adjusted peers.
Then came the injuries—shoulder, neck, back—behind offensive lines that offered little resistance.
By age 30, in August 1982, he could no longer throw effectively and stepped away quietly, his body overriding his drive.
The similarities strike hard: both inherited losing programs, ignited immediate contention, delivered elite production relative to their time, earned reputations for clutch play, and endured repeated punishment up front.
Burrow has already lost significant time to an ACL tear, a wrist injury, and now the toe issue. His sack rate ranks in the bottom percentile. The Bengals’ run game sits near the bottom of the league in yards per carry. Under constant pressure, even his pinpoint accuracy has begun to waver.
No LSU supporter wants to watch another generational arm—one raised in Tiger Stadium—dimmed before 30 because adequate protection never materialized.
After the Ravens rout, Burrow shouldered the blame: “One of the worst games I’ve played… I’ve gotta be better. Everything.” He offered no excuses, later clarifying that his comments about fun concerned only his personal mindset, not the organization.
Ja’Marr Chase, Burrow’s LSU teammate and longtime receiver, has pushed back against the gloom.
Before facing Baltimore, Chase told reporters the quarterback remained unchanged: “He’s the same guy. That clip felt like AI. He don’t look bummed—same fierce competitor every day.”
Yet after the shutout, Chase revealed a shift: “I’ve never had to uplift him, but going forward I might need to, ’cause he does it for me. You never know what he’s going through.” He even confronted hecklers behind the bench, shouting for them to head home.
That fierce loyalty traces straight back to the bond forged under Coach O in Baton Rouge.
Three games remained -- irrelevant for the postseason but vital for reflection.
A top-five draft pick awaits. Larger questions loom in the offseason:
Will Cincinnati finally construct trenches worthy of its franchise quarterback?
Can Burrow reclaim the joy that once made every throw look effortless?
Like Jones and Luck before him, his legacy now balances on health, support, and that elusive spark. For the moment, he rises from the bench, laces his cleats, and walks toward the tunnel—still competing, still searching. Geaux get that fire back, Joe. Louisiana remains watching.
EYES ON THE SEC
BETTER NOT PLAN ANY WEDDINGS FOR SEPT. 19
LANE KIFFIN RETURNS TO OLE MISS FOR A BLOOD BATH AT VAUGHT-HEMINGWAY
New LSU coach Lane Kiffin will return to Ole Miss with the Tigers for a grudge match against the Rebels on Sept. 19. Photo by: LSU Athletics
C ircle your calendars.
And cancel any wedding dates on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026.
LSU new coach Lane Kiffin will return on that date to play Ole Miss, where he was head coach from 2020-25 before breaking its heart and leaving the Rebels at the altar of the College Football Playoffs.
“Better find a way to fabricate some more security for that game,” college football analyst Cole Cubelic said on the SEC Network last month.
Kiffin did build Ole Miss from mostly mediocrity for five decades into a consistent, double-digit-winning program not seen since the days of legendary coach Johnny Vaught in the 1950s and ’60s.
But Ole Miss isn’t going to change its stadium’s name from Vaught-Hemingway to Kiffin-Hemingway. No, Ole Miss fans will not be thinking about what Kiffin did for them. They will never forget that he left them and took so many of their coaches, including offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr.
The Hemingway part of that stadium name is not in honor of Ernest Hemingway, rather Judge William Hemingway, a former athletics board chairman who developed the stadium.
But to borrow an Ernest Hemingway title, Kiffin threw the book, “To Have And Have Not,” like a knife through Ole Miss’ heart. Historically, LSU Football has been one of the SEC’s Haves, and Ole Miss Football has most often been one of the SEC’s Have Nots. Which is exactly why Kiffin left a playoff-bound team in its third straight double-digit-win season and fourth of five for an underachieving LSU in its fourth single-digit win season since 2020.
It was one thing to lose Tommy Tuberville to Auburn in the 1990s, but for Ole Miss to lose its coach to LSU just when he was reaching the mountain top?
Suffice it to say, there will be blood.
And now Kiffin and LSU have virtually all of Ole Miss’ offensive assistants from last season, and Ole Miss and new coach Pete Golding have them not.
Ole Miss will be frothing at their collective mouths come Sept. 19, and likely hanging Kiffin in effigy near Vaught-Hemingway and throughout the upscale Grove like LSU hung Nick Saban in effigy when he returned to LSU as Alabama’s coach in 2008.
The sophisticated Grove will have a more primal, working class feel like Tiger Stadium’s tailgating pits. In fact, the Grove may even smell of corndogs.
“Won’t have to manifest any emotion for that one,” former Auburn coach Gene Chizik said.
Kiffin, who is the first in history to coach at three SEC schools, will also visit his other former SEC school at Tennessee on Nov. 21.
Suddenly Alabama at LSU on Nov. 7 is not a headline. A bigger game may be Texas visiting on Nov. 14 for the first time since 1953 and first SEC meeting. Texas quarterback Arch Manning will be the first Manning playing at LSU since his Uncle Eli in 2002.
Arch’s grandpa Archie Manning and Ole Miss beat LSU in Tiger Stadium, 27-24, in 1968. Archie’s son Peyton Manning was Tennessee’s quarterback from 1994-97, but never played LSU.
But back to LSU at Ole Miss, where all roads will lead on the third Saturday in September. Even the normally mild-mannered Archie’s blood is boiling for this one.
“I think we’re going to do great in the playoffs,” he said to a friend before Ole Miss beat Tulane on Dec. 20, “without our narcissist, jerk head coach.”
See you in September.
LSU 2026 SCHEDULE
Sept. 5 … Clemson
Sept. 12 … Louisiana Tech
Sept. 19 … At Ole Miss
Sept. 26 … Texas A&M
Oct. 3 … McNeese State
Oct. 10 … At Kentucky
Oct. 17 … Mississippi State
Oct. 24 … At Auburn
Nov. 7 … Alabama
Nov. 14 … Texas
Nov. 21 … At Tennessee
Nov. 28 … At Arkansas
FROM THE VAULT
PRESENTED BY
Bo Rein, age 34, is introduced as LSU’s new football coach after the 1979 season. Photo by: LSU Athletics
(REPRINTED FROM JAN. 13, 1990 TIGER RAG)
THE BO WE DIDN’T GET TO KNOW
A DECADE LATER, BO REIN STILL HEAVY ON LOVED ONES’ MINDS
B obby Morrison awoke and sat straight up in his bed at the Capitol House Hotel in downtown Baton Rouge.
“My body knew something was wrong. It was really eerie,” he said of a dark memory now turning 10 years old.
Then the phone rang, and he heard the words he’ll never forget.
“Bo’s plane’s missing,” fellow new LSU assistant coach Jon Mirilovich told him.
Bo was Robert E. “Bo” Rein – LSU football coach from Nov. 30, 1979, to Jan. 10, 1980. He was the Bo Louisiana never got to know.
Rein died 10 years ago on the night of Jan. 10, 1980, at the age of 34 in a plane crash 100 miles off the Virginia coast. He was the only passenger with pilot Lewis Benscotter. They took off from Shreveport after a recruiting trip in a small private plane, but headed east to avoid nasty weather. Then verbal contact with Benscotter was lost and never regained.
Morrison, Mirilovich and other assistant coaches Rein brought with him from his staff at North Carolina State bunking at the Capitol House rushed to the Baton Rouge Airport and were allowed to track Rein’s plane on radar.
“The last thing we heard coming on the radio was, ‘The plane turned and rolled over to the right and went directly to the sea,’” Morrison remembered.
No bodies were ever found. No one is sure what happened, but the generally accepted theory is that oxygen was lost in the cabin, and both Rein and Benscotter passed out in flight.
The plane had passed over North Carolina State in Raleigh, where Rein’s parents from Niles, Ohio, were babysitting his two sleeping daughters. Rein’s wife Susan was visiting her parents in Portland, Oregon.
“The one thing is, he’s never going to get old,” Morrison, now an assistant coach at Michigan, said. “He’s always going to be the young Bo I remember.”
Morrison and Rein were each born in 1945 in Niles and grew up together. They jogged from the Capitol House to the LSU football offices on the morning of Jan. 10. On Jan. 11, Rein was to meet his new team for the first time after replacing coach Charles McClendon.
Former LSU and NFL star Jerry Stovall soon replaced Rein and retained. Morrison and other Rein assistants for two seasons.
“Bo was a great coach,” Morrison said. “I always wonder where he’d be today. I’m sure he’d be one of the top coaches in the country. It was inevitable. He had that something you can’t put your finger on that the great ones have.”
Rein’s mother Virginia still struggles daily to get over her son’s death.
“He was so likeable, and never changed,” she said. “A phone call from him could lift your spirits no matter how down you were.”
Rein called his mom shortly before the plane left Shreveport. “I’ve got to run. Plane’s waiting, and I have to get back to school,” she remembered him saying. “The plane was never found. It’s all just blank, gone, and that’s it.”
Rein’s dad Paul doesn’t talk about it.
“Nothing,” she said. “But I talk about everything he did. They say you’re supposed to forget, but he’s what I live for. He gave us our happiest years. We drove everywhere to see him play.”
Rein played running back for coach Woody Hayes at Ohio State from 1964-66 and played for the Buckeyes’ national championship baseball team in 1966. While a minor leaguer for the Portland Beavers, he met his future wife. They were married for 11 years.
“When you’re a coaches’ wife, you have to be fairly independent,” she said. “He was always gone, but you knew he was always coming back. Now, he’s just never around. And he always kind of believed he was invulnerable. And I believed that, too.”
Susan remarried three years after the tragedy and returned home to Portland.
“I have a new life,” she said. “But he’s always in my thoughts.”
THE SITDOWN
PRESENTED BY
Lane Kiffin
Photo by: Jonathan Mailhes
LANE KIFFIN
WOWS ‘EM AT INTRODUCTORY PRESS CONFERENCE JUST LIKE YOU’D EXPECT FROM A ROCK STAR
J ust one day after leaving Ole Miss better than it has been since the 1960s, Lane Kiffin touched down at the Baton Rouge Metro Airport to throngs of adoring fans on Sunday, Nov. 30.
And Kiffin, ever the rock star and greatest Ole Miss coach since Johnny Vaught in the 1950s and ‘60s, did not disappoint in his introductory press conference in a Tiger Stadium suite on Monday, Dec. 1.
LANE KIFFIN: First off, I want to thank my family for all their love and support throughout this process. Layla, Knox, Landry, Presley, my children, brother Chris that’s here with his family. Thank you for all the support through this process, which was not an easy one.
I would also like to thank President Wade Rousse, Athletic Director Verge Ausberry, Board of Supervisors chair Scott Ballard, athletic board chair John Carmouche, and Julie Cromer.
I also had a unique great call with Governor Landry, and I could feel his passion and energy in that call for the state of Louisiana and for LSU football.
Also, the people that reached out to me through the process from former great, great LSU players and very powerful LSU alumni, I’m very honored to be the head coach of LSU.
I can sum it up by saying this: this place is different. Having watched this place for a long time, having been on the other sidelines in this stadium, this place is different, and that’s why we’re here. We have a lot of work to do with that, but I’m very grateful for the opportunity to lead one of the elite programs in all of sports.
Leaving Ole Miss was extremely difficult. Extremely difficult decision. In that, we tried every single thing possible to continue to coach the team through the playoffs and to continue to coach the players. In the end that was their decision, and we totally respect that.
But the opportunity at LSU, as I said before, is just different. This place is built for championships with championship expectations. Our program here at LSU will be designed top to bottom to be the No. 1 destination for elite players in all of America. That’s why we’re here.
I know that we have, with the passion of LSU family and our LSU players, to bring championship football back to LSU. It’s time for LSU to take its place back as the best program in all of college football, and that’s what we’re here to do. So, thanks for everybody showing up. Thank you for believing in me. Let’s go to work, and Geaux Tigers.
QUESTION: What are your memories of being an opponent coach in Tiger Stadium?
KIFFIN: It feels good to be on this sideline. Been here a number of times.
Now that you say it, I’ve been down there in what I would say were probably two of the most intense games and feelings ever, and those were two overtime games. One when I was at Alabama here, and then one at Ole Miss here in the overtime in 2024. Man, that feeling on the other sideline, all the way from the warmups of those night games.
Man, it is something. I coached a lot of places, okay, and a lot of road games - NFL, college.
And there is nothing like the feeling when you are on the other sideline and the intensity that you feel. It’s like a weight that you feel.
I talked to head coaches who have been here before obviously. They talk about feeling on the LSU sideline, like they feel lifted up by the crowd in the intensity. Well, when you’re on the other sideline, you feel it the other way, and especially when you get into crunch time and overtime at night. Now, we have that intensity on our side. This is where you are supposed to be.
From left, LSU president Wade Rouse, LSU football coach Lane Kiffin and LSU athletic director Verge Ausberry smile for the cameras on Dec. 1 at Kiffin’s introductory press conference in the Tiger Stadium suites. Photo by: Jonathan Mailhes
Q: Do you see this as a career-defining move?
LK: Yeah. I hope so (smiling). This is unique. I’m uniquely prepared at 50 years old for this job to have been so many places, done good things, made a lot of mistakes and made them really early on.
This is my sixth head job. I don’t know if anybody has ever done that. It’s not necessarily great in some ways (laughing). They weren’t all by choice, but what that does is if you take all that information and you keep it and you collect it and you learn from the good, from the bad, that’s experience.
Just like an experienced quarterback is a lot better later on. And experienced coaches are better later on. And some of those coaches - especially those two (Nick Saban, Pete Carroll) I talked to - they would tell you, man, at this age right now where I am is when they really figured it all out.
Q: How do you feel leaving Oxford to boos to landing here to cheers?
LK: Time heals a lot of things, and having gone through that in this conference before, I sure hope that happens. I sure hope that the people there, as time goes by, can focus on the amazing six years we had - the greatest football run in the history of the school, the greatest regular season ever in the history of the state just happened there.
I really hope they can focus on that. And where we were able, with the support of people there, to put the program on a national stage that it had never been at before and maintain it there for a number of years.
It was very hard and it was really challenging. It is, man, the passion of the SEC. So, I understand that, so I don’t get emotional with it yesterday like so many people get emotional, you know, like that. They change like that.
Because we spent six years there. That airport scene and my son Knox and I driving, and people trying to run us off the road, man, and the things they said to us. Then we got here, and we had been here for six minutes, and how they said, ‘We love you, Coach. You’re the best ever.’ We have only been here six minutes. We haven’t done anything for you yet. But that’s the SEC. I’ve been around it long enough to know that, and it’s just the passion of the SEC. I’m not upset at those reactions by fans, by people. I think that people get really upset when you leave somewhere, because they feel hurt because you’re doing a really good job.
They ain’t going to the airport and driving from all over, okay, to say those things and yell those things, okay, and try to run you off the road - if you were doing bad.
I just look at it as passionate people in the SEC, and that means that they really liked what we were doing there. Because, the way the players played, because the way the assistants coached and the performances we had are why we ended up in the situation we were in, having to decide where to go.”
WHO IS LANE KIFFIN?
IT TOOK HIS FATHER DYING IN 2024 FOR HIM TO REALIZE HE IS HIS FATHER’S SON - THE SON OF A JOURNEYMAN COACH
Lane Kiffin
Photo by: Jonathan Mailhes
T here were a few polite “no comments” and a couple terse ones by Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin concerning his immediate future at what he knew at the time was his last Monday press conference as Ole Miss coach last Nov. 24 in Oxford.
By then Kiffin had already met covertly “somewhere in Mississippi” with LSU athletic director Verge Ausberry and told Ausberry he was coming, but he wasn’t all the way there yet. He was trying to figure out how he could take the LSU job and still coach Ole Miss in the upcoming playoffs. The second part didn’t happen.
At the press conference, the question was still, “Would Kiffin be staying or going to LSU?” That wasn’t asked directly, but there were several skillful attempts at finessing the purple and gold Elephant in the Room.
Only one worked at eliciting a long and thoughtful response from one of the more articulate football coaches you will ever meet. The question worked because it was bigger picture.
And Kiffin actually dropped a clue about what he would soon do and say exactly one week later in Tiger Stadium when he would be introduced as LSU’s new football coach on Dec. 1.
The question to Kiffin was if his many previous job moves were helping him decide to stay or move again now.
For from 2008-2020, Kiffin changed jobs five times, and two were not his choice.
… Fired as Oakland Raiders coach at 5-15 early in the 2008 season.
… Left Tennessee burning after a promising 7-6, 4-4 season as coach in 2009 for his dream job back at USC, where he was an assistant under Pete Carroll.
… Fired as USC coach early in the 2013 season at 3-2 and 0-2 after an average 7-6 and 5-4 campaign.
… Left Alabama offensive coordinator job after three great seasons, including the 2015 national title, to become Florida Atlantic’s coach.
… Left Florida Atlantic after two impressive double-digit win seasons out of three to become Ole Miss coach, where he stayed for six seasons.
“Over the years of the changes that I’ve made, I’ve had a lot of time to reflect on things that have happened,” Kiffin, 50, said to answer the question. “And I feel like in age, I figured out that they all happened exactly how they were supposed to happen when they were supposed to happen. I just didn’t think that at the time. I thought they were disasters. And they’re just all part of my story.”
But he wasn’t done. Lane transitioned right into his father Monte Kiffin, the epitome of a journeyman coach who became the premier NFL defensive genius when he finally stayed a while.
The elder Kiffin, who died on July 11, 2024, at 84, became known for the much-copied Tampa 2 version of the Cover 2 pass defense. His eldest son Lane spoke emotionally at his funeral.
From 1976 when Lane was a 1-year-old born in Lincoln, Nebraska, while his dad was Nebraska’s defensive coordinator, Lane and his family moved seven times by 1991.
Monte Kiffin left Lincoln for Arkansas to be defensive coordinator from 1977-78 and associate head coach there in 1979, then was North Carolina State’s head coach from 1980-82. In 1983, he was Green Bay’s linebacker coach. In 1984 and ’85 when Lane turned 10, he was Buffalo’s linebacker coach.
Monte then moved to Minneapolis to be the Minnesota Vikings linebacker coach from 1986-89 before 1990 as the New York Jets linebacker coach. He returned to Minnesota as linebacker coach from 1991-94, and Lane played quarterback at Thomas Jefferson High in Bloomington, Minnesota, through 1993.
Lane moved on to Fresno State from 1994-96 as a backup quarterback while his dad jumped from Minnesota to New Orleans in 1995 and finally to Tampa Bay in 1996.
With Monte’s moveable feast finally ending in Tampa from 1996-2008 as he became the defensive coordinator savant of the ages, it was Lane’s turn to start his annual job changes. Lane became a student assistant coach at Fresno State from 1997-98 before 1999 at Colorado State as a graduate assistant, 2000 with the Jacksonville Jaguars as a defensive quality control assistant and finally landed at USC in 2001.
“You know, I spoke at my dad’s funeral, and I always wondered why we moved so much because it was hard on us as kids,” Kiffin said, continuing to open up.
“I realized that was just all part of his story,” Kiffin said. Lane described an epiphany at his dad’s funeral. He connected himself to his dad.
“So many people wrote notes from all the different places,” he said. “And I realized that was God’s plan for him – to impact all those people and have all those relationships. So, I think all the stuff that happened to me, happened how it was supposed to happen.”
And it was about to happen again in a tumultuous week as he exited Oxford amid national controversy.
Once in front of a packed house in the suites above Tiger Stadium on Dec. 1, though, Kiffin returned to his dad’s story that is his story.
“Over the past few weeks and especially the last few days as I was trying to figure out this decision, I really tried to channel my dad,” Kiffin said. “I spoke at his funeral, and it occurred to me as I was writing that speech that I never understood why as a kid we moved so much. It became apparent to me, that happened for a reason. He went to all those places so he could connect with all those people, impact those people, be impacted by those people.”
So, it wasn’t just Nick Saban advising Kiffin go to LSU. It was his dad, too. “As I thought about that, even with the best six years of my life at Ole Miss, it became apparent to me what the decision was,” Kiffin said.
L-S-U.
“My journey has been unique, to say the least,” he said. “But I believe everything I’ve been through has prepared me for this moment at this place right now. I also believe everything happened exactly how it was supposed to happen, when it was supposed to happen. That will be clear someday.”
Lane Kiffin wowed the crowd in his first press conference as LSU’s football coach. Photo by: Jonathan Mailhes
BULLET TRAIN HITS BATON ROUGE ON FIRE
NEW LSU COACH LANE KIFFIN’S FIRST 20 DAYS WERE FAST-PACED AND ACTION PACKED – LIKE HIS OFFENSES
L SU has never had a true, progressive, modern offensive coordinator as its head coach in its history.
Les Miles (head coach from 2005-16, national champion 2007) was an offensive coordinator at Oklahoma State before becoming its head coach, but he had an offensive line background and mainly wanted to run the ball.
Gerry DiNardo (1995-99) was an offensive coordinator at Colorado, but also had an offensive line background and focused on the run game.
Nick Saban (2000-04, national champion 2003) never coached offense and was an elite defensive coordinator at Michigan State and with the Cleveland Browns before becoming a college football head coaching legend.
Paul Dietzel (1955-61, national champion 1958) was a line coach before building LSU into an iconic program.
Charles McClendon (1962-79) was a defensive mastermind, but not much on offense. Jerry Stovall (1980-83) was a running backs coach, but never a coordinator. Bill Arnsparger (1984-86) was a genius defensive coordinator in the NFL with Miami and basically left the offense to others at LSU.
Well, LSU has a true, progressive, modern offensive coordinator genius now in Lane Kiffin – the offensive antidote to Nick Saban’s defensive expertise.
But Kiffin has old school in him, too. He likes to run and pass. Each set the other up. Kiffin is a multi-tasking offensive coordinator. And that’s exactly how he spent his first 20 days as LSU’s new coach from Nov. 30 through Dec. 19.
Here’s a look:
Saturday, Nov. 29 ... Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin signs his terms of agreement in Oxford to be LSU’s new head coach.
Sunday, Nov. 30 ... Kiffin lands in Baton Rouge as LSU’s next coach and is greeted on the steps of the plane by LSU athletic director Verge Ausberry. He brings several Oie Miss assistants, including offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. and general manager Billy Glasscock.
Monday, Dec. 1 ... Kiffin appears for his introductory press conference as LSU’s new coach in the South Stadium Suites of Tiger Stadium.
Tuesday, Dec. 2 ... Kiffin meets with representatives of Richard Anderson, the No. 1 defensive lineman in the country from Karr High in New Orleans, to convince him to keep his commitment to LSU amid coaching changes with the Tigers. LSU interim coach Frank Wilson, who recruited Anderson, and defensive coordinator Blake Baker are also at the meeting.
Wednesday, Dec. 3 ... Richard Anderson signs on the first day of the early signing period along with most of the commitments of LSU’s Class of 2026. But Kiffin purges two LSU commitments who end up at Ole Miss while flipping four-star wide receiver Corey Barber, four-star tight end JC Anderson and three-star offensive lineman Ryan Miret from Ole Miss and flipping four-star receiver Brayden Allen from Oklahoma.
Thursday, Dec. 4 ... Word leaks that LSU general manager Austin Thomas, considered one of the game’s best personnel experts, will not be retained as GM by Kiffin, who has replaced him with Ole Miss GM Billy Glasscock.
Friday, Dec. 5 ... Defensive tackle Lamar Brown - the No. 1 player in the country from University High in Baton Rouge - signs with LSU after wavering for a few days. But Kiffin met with him and convinced him to stay. And later, news breaks that LSU defensive coordinator Blake Baker has turned down the Tulane job to stay at LSU for $9.3 million over three years.
Saturday, Dec. 6 ... Too busy, Kiffin cancels his appearance on ESPN’s GameDay.
Sunday, Dec. 7 ... LSU will play Houston in the Texas Bowl in Houston on Dec. 27, but Kiffin will not coach the game. Interim coach Frank Wilson will coach.
Monday, Dec. 8 ... Newly hired LSU assistants from Ole Miss – Charlie Weis Jr. (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks), Joe Cox (tight ends), George McDonald (receivers), Dane Stevens (quarterbacks assistant) and Sawyer Jordan (slot receivers) will return to Ole Miss to coach the Rebels in the playoffs.
Tuesday, Dec. 9 ... LSU interim coach Frank Wilson says he is unsure of his future once he coaches the bowl game.
Wednesday, Dec. 10 ... LSU’s Board of Supervisors announce raise for incoming offensive coordinator Charlie Weis from $1.9 million a year as of Nov. 30 to $2.5 million a year over three years to make him the highest paid OC in college football for 2026. And just to make sure he doesn’t stay at Ole Miss after coaching the Rebels in the playoffs, LSU makes it very expensive for Weis to get out of the contract and go back to Ole Miss. The other former Ole Miss coaches now at LSU get similar binding deals.
Thursday, Dec. 11 … The SEC releases the 2026 schedules, and Kiffin and LSU will play at Ole Miss on Sept. 19. Kiffin, the first coach in history to coach three SEC schools, also must return to his first SEC head coaching job at Tennessee on Nov. 21.
Friday, Dec. 12 … LSU reserve running back Kaleb Jackson says he will enter the portal as word is leaking out that Ole Miss running back Kewan Lacy may enter the portal and possibly reunite with Kiffin. Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss may also transfer to LSU if he wins an NCAA appeal for another senior year.
Saturday Dec. 13 … Among the quarterbacks Kiffin may be shooting for in the Transfer Portal in addition to Chambliss is Arizona State’s Sam Leavitt.
Sunday, Dec. 14 … Another potential Kiffin quarterback - Florida sophomore dual threat D.J. Lagway – enters the portal as its No. 1 prospect by 247sports.com.
Monday, Dec. 15 … Ole Miss hires LSU’s Austin Thomas as its GM, replacing Billy Glasscock, whom Kiffin took with him to LSU as GM.
Tuesday, Dec. 16 … Interim coach Frank Wilson will become running backs coach at Ole Miss after coaching LSU in the Texas Bowl. Ole Miss running backs coach Kevin Smith may come to LSU with running back Kewan Lacy.
Wednesday, Dec. 17 … Kiffin loses an LSU player he possibly should have tried harder to keep in true freshman offensive tackle Carius Curne, who enters portal.
Thursday, Dec. 18 … Kiffin appears close to hiring South Carolina defensive line coach Sterling Lucas.
Friday, Dec. 19 … Kiffin tweets from Phil’s Oyster Bar at 8:16 p.m., where various LSU coaches and athletic directors have frequented since the 1950s. “Real seafood,” Kiffin says and adds his new hashtag from his introductory press conference - “It’sJustDif- ferent.” … A Baton Rouge Christmas party features customized party cups that say, “Merry KIFFMAS.”
Lane Kiffin, fourth from left, waits to speak at his opening press conference. LSU athletic director Verge Ausberry is second from left. From Kiffin’s left are his daughter Landry Kiffin, Landry’s boyfriend/LSU linebacker Whit Weeks, Lane’s wife Layla Kiffin and Lane and Layla’s son Knox Kiffin. Photo by: Jonathan Mailhes
THE LANE TRAIN TIMELINE OCT 25 THROUGH DEC. 1
HOW OLE MISS COACH LANE KIFFIN BECAME LSU’S NEXT HEAD COACH
O le Miss head football coach Lane Kiffin became LSU’s new coach on Saturday, Nov. 29, when he signed a terms agreement that will pay him $91 million over seven years. He landed at Baton Rouge Metro Airport the next evening to throngs of LSU fans and was driven to the LSU football facility.
Here is the timeline of how LSU athletic director Verge Ausberry got Lane Kiffin “in the boat,” as he says.
October 25
LSU loses to No. 3 Texas A&M, 49-25, in Tiger Stadium embarrassingly by getting outscored, 35-7, in the second half to fall to 5-3 overall, 2-3 in the SEC, and out of the College Football Playoff for the fourth time in four years under coach Brian Kelly.
October 26
LSU athletic director Scott Woodward fires Kelly without cause and proves that by saying so in an LSU athletic department release. “When Coach Kelly arrived at LSU four years ago, we had high hopes that he would lead us to multiple SEC and national championships during his time in Baton Rouge. Ultimately, the success at the level that LSU demands simply did not materialize, and I made the decision to make a change after last night’s game.”
Then-deputy athletic director Verge Ausberry and Woodward immediately begin looking for Kelly’s replacement.
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry meets with members of LSU’s Board of Supervisors – whom he selects - at the Governor’s Mansion and suggests that Woodward be fired because he hired the underachieving Kelly at $100 million over 10 years. Kelly would have been 70 when his contract expired. Landry and other prominent LSU boosters and donors do not want Woodward hiring the next LSU coach after his second major bust. It was Woodward who hired Jimbo Fisher at Texas A&M to a 10-year, $75 million contract after the 2017 season, and A&M fired the underachieving Fisher late in the 2023 season.
October 29
At a press conference to discuss SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), Governor Landry makes it clear Woodward will not hire the next LSU football coach because of Woodward’s two previous busts amid hugely expensive contracts.
“No, I can tell you right now, Scott Woodward will not be selecting the next coach,” Landry said to a question by Tiger Rag. “Hell, I’ll let Donald Trump select him before I let him do it.”
October 30
Under the direction of Landry and major LSU donors upset with Woodward’s wayward spending, the LSU Board of Supervisors fires Woodward. Ausberry takes over the coaching search. His first target is Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin, who was not a target of Woodward’s during his search after Ed Orgeron’s firing in 2021. Ausberry also eventually gets Governor Landry to speak to Kiffin.
November 16
Kiffin’s ex-wife Layla Kiffin, who lives in Oxford as do two of the couple’s three children, and some family members other than Lane visit Gainesville, Florida, to look at potential homes and schools as Lane is a candidate for the Florida opening with the firing of Billy Napier on Oct. 19.
November 17
LSU athletic director Verge Ausberry and other LSU officials pick up members of Lane Kiffin’s family in Oxford and fly them to Baton Rouge for a reconnaissance visit in case Kiffin takes the vacant LSU coaching job, a Tiger Rag source confirms. Kiffin’s ex-wife Layla visits University High on the LSU campus, where Knox Kiffin, a sophomore starting quarterback at Oxford High, could transfer.
Tiger Rag runs a feature about former LSU and Alabama coach Nick Saban advising Kiffin to take the LSU job more than a week before that becomes a national story.
November 20
Kiffin’s daughter Landry, an Ole Miss student, attends the Bengal Belles fan club luncheon at L’Auberge Casino in Baton Rouge with her boyfriend – LSU linebacker Whit Weeks.
November 21
“The Lane train, plane and automobile may be headed to LSU,” Tiger Rag reports. “Two LSU sources on Friday say LSU’s talks with Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin and his agent Jimmy Sexton have progressed well, but the ‘process is still going on.’”
Later, Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger reports that “LSU is finalizing a near $90 million offer to Kiffin blessed by the governor (Jeff Landry) and $25 million plus in annual roster cash.”
November 26
After fighting for weeks to not pay Brian Kelly’s $54 million buyout and changing its story to say he was fired with cause, LSU gives up and says it will pay full buyout for without-cause firing. This helps Ausberry’s pursuit of Kiffin.
“It’s All Happening With Lane Train To LSU,” Tiger Rag headline says.
November 29
Kiffin signs term sheet for a $91 million contract over seven years to be LSU’s next coach.
November 30
“It’s over. Lane Kiffin is LSU’s next football coach. Press conference introducing him set for Monday at LSU,” Glenn Guilbeau tweets at 11:54 a.m. with story. At 2:24 p.m., Baton Rouge Advocate reports, “LSU Gets Its Man As Ole Miss Coach Lane Kiffin Agrees To Be Tigers’ Next Head Coach.”
Kiffin lands at LSU airport Sunday evening as LSU’s next coach to throngs of fans.
December 1
Kiffin is introduced as LSU’s new coach at a press conference in the Tiger Stadium suites.
New LSU offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. coached Ole Miss’ offense and called the plays in the Rebels’ playoff win over Tulane on Dec. 20 and will continue to do so throughout the playoffs along with several other former Ole Miss assistants now employed by LSU. Photo by: Ole Miss Athletics
LSU-OLE MISS COACH SWAPPING COULD HEIGHTEN THE RIVALRY INTO BLOOD FEUD
LANE KIFFIN’S 1ST LSU FOOTBALL COACHING STAFF IS MOSTLY STRAIGHT OUTTA OXFORD
M aybe Lane Kiffin heard the story about his second father, Nick Saban, when Saban left the Michigan State head coaching job to become LSU’s new coach on November 30, 1999.
Not one assistant coach from the Spartans joined Saban on the plane. And most of them likely made the mistake of their professional lives, choosing to stay in East Lansing as a group, so Bobby Williams would be promoted from running backs coach to replace Saban.
It worked in the short term, but by late 2002, Williams was fired and the staff scattered, which is usually what happens.
Much of Kiffin’s staff at Ole Miss did not make that mistake as several members jumped on two planes from Oxford to Baton Rouge on Sunday evening, Nov. 30, 2025, to become members of Kiffin’s new staff at LSU. And LSU’s old staff is scattering.
Kiffin immediately hired from Ole Miss – offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Charlie Weis Jr., co-offensive coordinator/tight ends coach Joe Cox, passing game coordinator/receivers coach George McDonald, defensive assistant coach Chris Kiffin (who is Lane’s younger brother), assistant quarterbacks coach Dane Stevens, inside receivers coach Sawyer Jordan, strength coach Nick Savage, general manager Billy Glasscock, assistant director of football operations Tyler Veins and assistant recruiting coordinator Dwike Wilson.
Kiffin did make one key hire outside of Ole Miss in Kentucky offensive line coach Eric Wolford, who had great success with Alabama’s offensive line under Saban in 2022 and ’23. Wolford replaces Brad Davis, whose lines struggled mightily the last two seasons with the run game, and Ole Miss consistently had a strong one under Kiffin.
Weis, Cox, McDonald, Stevens and Jordan took another plane ride back to Oxford a week later, but not because of second thoughts. Ole Miss asked and Kiffin and LSU agreed that they could return to coach the Rebels through the College Football Playoff.
The No. 6 Rebels (12-1) beat No. 11 Tulane in the first round in Oxford to advance to the Sugar Bowl to play No. 3 Georgia (12-1) on Jan. 1.
Ole Miss running backs coach Kevin Smith was not on either plane trip, but there was still a spot for him at that position at LSU going into the new year. Smith would replace LSU running backs coach Frank Wilson, who replaced fired LSU coach Brian Kelly on Oct. 26 and coached the Tigers through their Texas Bowl on Dec. 27. Other LSU offensive assistant coaches under Kelly not retained by Kiffin, like Brad Davis, also coached LSU through the bowl.
Kiffin did not offer Wilson a job, and Wilson joined the staff at Ole Miss. Wilson would be running backs coach, or take another position, depending on what Smith did or does.
Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding, a Hammond native, hired Wilson. Golding was promoted by Ole Miss from defensive coordinator to replace Kiffin, who hired Golding as DC away from that post at Alabama after the 2022 season.
In Wilson’s first year as Texas-San Antonio’s coach in 2016, he hired Golding from Southern Mississippi to be defensive coordinator.
Wilson will reunite with Ole Miss new general manager Austin Thomas, who had that job at LSU, but was not retained by Kiffin. Thomas had left Kiffin and Ole Miss after the 2023 season to return to LSU and work under Kelly in 2024 and ’25. Maybe that angered Kiffin, because he replaced Thomas immediately on Nov. 30 with Glasscock, who was on that plane.
As Tennessee’s head coach in 2009, Kiffin gave Thomas his first full-time job in football as a quality control assistant. Thomas was a Vols’ recruiting intern in 2008. Kiffin then brought Thomas with him when he became USC’s coach in 2010 and hired him again in 2022 at Ole Miss.
All this coach swapping and subsequent bloody rancor between the programs may make the LSU-Ole Miss rivalry harken back to the days when it was one of THE feuds in the SEC and at times the nation in the 1950s and ‘60s.
Those two had a near Game of the Century on Oct. 31, 1959, when No. 3 Ole Miss (6-0, 3-0 SEC) played No. 1 LSU (6-0, 2-0 SEC) and running back Billy Cannon in Tiger Stadium.
LSU won, 7-3, on Cannon’s iconic 89-yard punt return – The Halloween Run. But No. 2 Ole Miss (9-1) beat No. 3 LSU (9-1), 21-0, in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1, 1960, in Tulane Stadium, and was named national champions by Berryman, Billingsley, Dunkel and Sagarin. Syracuse won the more accepted national championship by the Associated Press at 11-0. Ole Miss still has not won a universally accepted national championship. LSU has four.
Yes, the next LSU-Ole Miss game on Sept. 19 in Oxford will be what the LSU-Alabama game was when Saban coached the Crimson Tide from 2007-23 and won six national championships after coaching LSU from 2000-04 and winning its first since 1958 in 2003.
What other LSU coaches from its 2025 staff or prior to that might Ole Miss hire?
Will LSU hire still more Ole Miss coaches and/or staff?
Stay tuned.
LSU EARLY SIGNING PERIOD BIOS
I t was a strong first early signing period for new LSU head coach Lane Kiffin, who managed to retain the Tigers’ top commitments while making strategic adjustments to create room for several former Ole Miss pledges who followed him to Baton Rouge. Kiffin and his staff also made clear they weren’t afraid to swing big, taking their shot at five-star receiver Chris Henry Jr. and four-star wideout Jase Matthews. LSU signed a total of 14 players in the early national day signing period, including eight defensive players and six offensive players. Overall, LSU’s 2026 recruiting class comes in at No. 13 nationally according to 247sports. com, but the Tigers have the best average grade per player in the country at 93.81.
BRAYDEN ALLEN
WR, 6-2, 197, Fr.
Lafayette, La. (Lafayette Christian Academy)
Versatile 4-star wide receiver who excelled in all three phases of the game at Lafayette Christian Academy … Rated as the nation’s No. 67 wide receiver prospect and No. 14 overall in Louisiana in the Rivals composite … Rated with 4-stars by Rivals … Listed as high as No. 41 at his position and No. 9 overall in Louisiana by Rivals … Has led his team into the Division III select semifinals as a senior … To date, has 43 receptions for 741 yards and 11 touchdowns … On defense, has 34 tackles, 2 interceptions … Has scored a defensive TD and also returned a punt for a touchdown in 2025 … First-Team All-State as a wide receiver in 2024 … As a junior, caught 55 passes for 1,155 yards and 10 TDs … Coached at LCA by Matt Standiford.
JC ANDERSON
TE, 6-7, 240, Fr.
Mt. Zion, Ill. (Mt. Zion HS)
Four-star tight end from Mt. Zion High School in Illinois … Rated as the nation’s No. 11 tight end prospect and No. 8 overall in Illinois in the On3/Rivals composite … Listed as high as No. 3 nationally at tight end by ESPN … Two-time all-state selection … Holds the Mt. Zion career receiving records for receptions (138) and yards (1,568) … As a senior, caught 46 passes for 578 yards and 8 TDs …. Scored a total of 13 touchdowns in 2025 … Played on both sides of the ball in high school … Caught 47 passes for 535 yards and 7 TDs in 2024 … Added 52 tackles and 5.5 sacks on defense … Also a standout for the Mt. Zion basketball team … Sister Denver Anderson plays college basketball at Southern Utah ... Flipped his commitment from Ole Miss to LSU on Dec. 2. Was committed to Rebels since July 1 of 2025. Followed position coach Joe Cox to Baton Rouge.
RICHARD ANDERSON
DT, 6-3, 360, Fr.
New Orleans, La. (Edna Karr HS)
The nation’s No. 1 defensive line prospect for the Class of 2026 … Prepped at Edna Karr High School in New Orleans … Rated No. 1 at his position, No. 2 overall in Louisiana and No. 24 overall nationally in the Rivals composite … Also listed as the No. 1 defensive line prospect by 247Sports … Earned 5A All-State honors as a junior after tallying 44 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 10 sacks and 18 QB hurries … Added a pair of interceptions and scored a touchdown as a junior … In 2024, helped lead Edna Karr to a 14-0 mark and the Division I Select state title with a 53-8 win over Alexandria in the championship game … In 2024 state title game, had 7 tackles, six going for losses, including a sack … He also recorded a tackle in the endzone for a safety … Played on Edna Karr team that has won 26 consecutive games heading into the 2025 state semifinal round … Coached at Edna Karr by Brice Brown.
COREY BARBER
WR, 6-1, 180, Fr.
Trussville, Ala. (Clay-Chalkville HS)
Playmaking wide receiver from Clay-Chalkville High School in Alabama … Consensus 4-star prospect …. Listed as the nation’s No. 28 wide receiver prospect and No. 7 overall in the state of Alabama in the On3/Rivals composite … Ranked as high as No. 20 nationally at his position by Rivals and 247Sports … As a senior, has 68 receptions for 1,130 yards and 14 touchdowns heading into the 6A state championship game … Led his team to the No. 1 ranking in 6A as a senior … Played junior season at Spain Park High where he caught 74 passes for 1,429 yards and 18 touchdowns … He finished junior season with 1,622 all-purpose yards and was one of three finalists for Class 6A Back of the Year ... Flipped his commitment from Ole Miss to LSU to follow Lane Kiffin and his offensive staff after being committed to the Rebels since May of 2025. LSU offered Barber on December 1.
LAMAR BROWN
DE, 6-5, 291, Fr.
Erwinville, La. (University Lab HS)
The No. 1 rated high school prospect in America … Consensus 5-star rating and listed as the nation’s No. 1 overall prep play in the Rivals composite and by ESPN … One of only 8 players nationally with a 5-star plus rating in the Rivals composite … Dominant during his prep career at University Lab School … Played high school football games in the shadows of Tiger Stadium … LSU’s first No. 1 overall signee since running back Leonard Fournette in 2014 … Earned MaxPreps First-Team All-American honors on top of All-State honors as an offensive lineman in 2024 and 2023 … Played offensive and defensive line in high school and competed on the track and field team as a state champion in the shot put and discus … Led University to the district title and an appearance in the state semifinals as a senior in 2025 … Coached by Andy Martin.
DEZYRIAN ELLIS
CB, 6-2, 180, Fr.
Winnsboro, La. (Franklin Parish HS)
Athletic defensive back prospect who earned All-State honors as a quarterback at Franklin Parish High School … Rated with 4-stars by Rivals … Listed as the nation’s No. 45 cornerback prospect and No. 15 overall in Louisiana in the Rivals composite … Ranked as high as No. 28 nationally by 247Sports and No. 10 overall in Louisiana by Rivals … As a junior in 2024, he passed for 2,184 yards and 31 touchdowns, while adding 827 rushing yards and 10 TDs on the ground … Led team to a 10-2 mark and the quarterfinals of the state playoffs in 2024 … First-Team 4A All-State at quarterback in 2024 … Threw for 2,395 yards and 26 touchdowns as a sophomore.
HAVON FINNEY
CB, 6-2, 157, Fr.
Porter Ranch, Calif. (Sierra Canyon HS)
One of the nation’s top cornerback prospects in the Class of 2026 … Re-classified last spring, opting to finish high school in 2026 … Was originally projected as the No. 1 rated cornerback in the Class of 2027 … Rated No. 14 at his position nationally and No. 11 overall in the state of California in the Rivals composite … Ranked as high as No. 9 nationally at cornerback by ESPN … Tallied 27 tackles and interception as a freshman and followed that with 37 tackles, 4 interceptions and 2 punt returns for touchdowns as a sophomore in 2024 … In final season at Sierra Canyon in 2025, team went 10-0 during the regular season and was ranked No. 1 in the state.
DEUCE GERALDS
DT, 6-1, 268, Fr.
Suwanee, Ga. (Collins Hill HS)
Consensus four-star defensive lineman out of Collins High School in Suwanee, Georgia … Rated by 247 Sports Composite as No. 11 defensive lineman nationally, No. 92 player overall nationally, and the No. 11 player in the state of Georgia … Led school in tackles, tackle-for-loss, and sacks as a senior … Tallied 30 tackles-for-loss and 13 sacks in the 2024 season, and added 211 rushing yards and 8 touchdowns as a junior… In sophomore season, recorded 30 tackles-for-loss and 14 sacks … As a freshman, made 17 tackles-for-loss and 10.5 sacks … Participated in Under Armour All-American Game and Polynesian Bowl in 2025, recording 4.5 sacks between the two games … Also a member of the high school track and field team … Son of former Ole Miss offensive lineman Daverin Geralds Sr.
AIDEN HALL
S, 6-1, 205, Fr.
New Orleans, La. (Edna Karr HS)
Four-star safety from Edna Karr in New Orleans, Louisiana… Earned four stars from Rivals, 247 Sports and ESPN… Ranked the No. 18 safety by Rivals as well as the No. 6 prospect in Louisiana… As a junior, played a key defensive role for Edna Karr’s 14-0 squad that won the Louisiana Division I Select state championship…As a sophomore, played heavy snaps at safety and nickel; helped Edna Karr to a 10-2 record and the Louisiana Division I Select state semifinals…Named 2024 All-District.
TRENTON HENDERSON
DE, 6-5, 235, Fr.
Pensacola, Fla. (Pine Forest HS)
Four-star edge rusher from Pine Forest High School in Pensacola, Florida… Earned four stars from Rivals, 247 Sports and ESPN… Ranked No. 37 nationally by Rivals as well as the No. 7 prospect in his position…Ranked as the No. 4 prospect in the state of Florida… Before his transfer to Pine Forest, he racked up 50 tackles (18 TFL), 20 QBH, 10 sacks, 6 PBU, a FF and a FR in 10 games as a junior and helped Pensacola Catholic make the Florida 2A playoffs… Appears on the roster for the 2026 Navy All-American Bowl.
JABARI MACK
WR, 6-1, 198, Fr.
Destrehan, La. (Destrehan HS)
Ranked as the No. 31 WR in country and No. 10 player in state of LA according to 247 ... Productive, physical wide receiver from Louisiana adds to the Tigers receiving room for the 2026 campaign … Rated a four-star by major recruiting outlets and recognized as a top 10 prospect in the state’s 2026 class … Exploded as a junior with 58 receptions for 1,275 yards and 14 touchdowns … Also earned 2025 All-District honors … Selected as a 2026 Under Armour All-American … Dual sport athlete who spent time in track … Placed as a Louisiana 5A regional qualifier as a sophomore in the 100 meters and 200 meters … Plays for head coach Marcus Scott at Destrehan High School
BRYSTEN MARTINEZ
OT, 6-6, 308, Fr.
Gonzales, LA. (East Ascension HS)
Chose the Tigers over Texas after the Longhorns’ staff made a big push for him. Martinez took unofficial visit to Austin during the bye week and then took an official visit with Texas on November 22-23 for the Arkansas game ... One of the top offensive line prospects in Louisiana’s 2026 class … Rated as a four-star recruit by On3 and 247Sports … Ranks as the ninth tackle in the nation and fourth prospect in Louisiana … Star tackle for East Ascension, in 2024, earning a 5A All-State honorable mention and All-District honors after a dominant junior season … Brings tremendous size and also has an athletic background in basketball … Plays for head coach Brock Matherne at East Ascension High School in Gonzales
RYAN MIRET
IOL, 6-6, 300, Fr.
Miami, Fla. (Southridge Senior HS)
Highly-regarded interior offensive line prospect from Southridge Senior High School in Miami … Rated with 3-stars and No. 81 nationally as an interior offensive lineman in the On3/Rivals composite … Listed as high as No. 51 nationally as an interior line prospect by Rivals … Starred in both football and wrestling in high school … Had scholarship offers in wrestling as well … Undefeated FHSAA 3A state wrestling title in the 285-pound division as a junior … Placed third in wrestling state championships as a sophomore … Transitioned from defensive line to center prior to his junior season … As a junior, led team to 6A state semifinals … Team went 9-2 and reached the third round of the Florida 6A playoffs in 2025 … Invited to play in the All-America Bowl ... Flipped his commitment from Ole Miss to LSU on Dec. after being committed since June of 2025.
ISAIAH WASHINGTON
S, 6-2, 175, Fr.
Haynesville, La. (Haynesville HS)
No. 68 safety in America and No. 24 player in state of Louisiana by 247sports ... Four-star safety from Haynesville High School in Haynesville, Louisiana… Earned four stars from 247Sports and three stars from Rivals and ESPN… Ranked the No. 13 prospect in Louisiana as well as the No. 34 safety recruit…has led his team to back-to-back state championship appearances as a quarterback and defensive back… 2024 1A All-State (First Team)…2023 1A All-State (First Team)…Multisport athlete who also plays basketball and competes in track and field… Louisiana 1A state champion in the triple jump (45-9.75) and 110-meter hurdles (14.77) as a junior. TR
Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss could reunite with Lane Kiffin and his former Ole Miss offensive coaches at LSU if Chambliss’ waiver request to the NCAA grants him another senior season in 2026. Photo by: Ole Miss Athletics
HUNTING SEASON ARRIVES: THE TRANSFER PORTAL OPENS
– CAN PORTAL KING LANE KIFFIN BRING TREASURES TO THE TIGERS?
T he NCAA Transfer Portal for football opens on January 2 and runs through January 16.
And LSU head coach Lane Kiffin has some major holes to fill at multiple positions, while also having to build more depth with key departures.
We rank LSU’s biggest positions of need, while giving transfer portal targets to watch out for here:
QUARTERBACK
KEY DEPARTURES: Garrett Nussmeier, Collin Hurley
TARGETS: Trinidad Chambliss (Ole Miss), Sam Leavitt (Arizona State), DJ Lagway (Florida), Brendan Sorsby (Cincinnati).
- LSU’s highest priority will be at quarterback, and don’t be surprised if Kiffin tries to add more than one. Chambliss, a senior, could reunite with his former head coach in Baton Rouge, if he gets an NCAA waiver for another season. If Chambliss’ waiver is denied, the Tigers will still have plenty of options. Leavitt, a sophomore, saw his season end early after suffering a foot injury that required surgery. Leavitt is a perfect fit for Kiffin’s offensive style as he can hurt opponents with his arm and his legs. In 2024, Leavitt threw for 2,885 yards and 24 touchdowns and rushed for 443 yards and five touchdowns.
OFFENSIVE LINE
KEY DEPARTURES: Josh Thompson, Carius Curne.
TARGETS: OG Tellek Lockette (Texas State), OT Josh Atkins (ASU), OG Connor Stroh (Texas), OT Tanner Morley (Colorado State).
- LSU isn’t losing a lot of bodies, but it needs more talent. Atkins (6-4, 310 pounds) would be a quality addition as a senior. He has started 39 games. Morley (6-7, 325), a junior, should be another player LSU goes after. He has allowed one sack in his career. Lockette is a proven senior tackle. His 131 pass blocking snaps are the second most in major college football without allowing a pressure. He earned a 90.2 pass blocking grade, according to Pro Football Focus.
WIDE RECEIVER
KEY DEPARTURES: Barion Brown, Zavion Thomas, Aaron Anderson, Chris Hilton Jr.
TARGETS: Danny Scudero (San Jose State), Perry Thompson (Auburn), Jayce Brown (Kansas State), Nick Marsh (Michigan State) - The biggest name to watch is the sophomore Scudero (5-9, 174), who caught 88 passes for 1,291 yards to lead the nation. He caught 10 touchdowns and was a Biletnikoff Semifinalist.
RUNNING BACK
KEY DEPARTURES: Kaleb Jackson
TARGETS: Kewan Lacy (Ole Miss), CJ Baxter (Texas), Peyton Jones (Duke).
- With running backs coach Frank Wilson leaving LSU for Ole Miss, he may take either LSU running back Harlem Berry or Caden Durham with him. Particularly if Ole Miss running backs coach Kevin Smith decides to join Kiffin at LSU and brings Lacy. Smith and Lacy may be a package deal. Lacy rushed for 1,279 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2025 as a sophomore.
LINEBACKER
KEY DEPARTURES: Harold Perkins Jr., West Weeks.
TARGETS: Liona Lefau (Texas), Christian Alliegro (Wisconsin), Gideon Lampron (Bowling Green).
- The Tigers need starters and depth. Lefau, a junior, had 68 tackles, including a sack and a forced fumble this season.
DEFENSIVE BACK
KEY DEPARTURES: Mansoor Delane, AJ Haulcy, Ashton Stamps
TARGETS: Jacob Fields (Louisiana Tech), Jordan Castell (Florida), Ja’son Prevard (Virginia), Khalil Barnes (Clemson) - Fields is a must get as he was named as the Conference-USA defensive player of the year after recording 90 total tackles with three interceptions.
DEFENSIVE LINE
KEY DEPARTURES: Patrick Payton, Jack Pyburn, Jimari Butler, Bernard Gooden, Ahmad Breaux.
TARGETS: John Walker (UCF), Rondo Porter (Appalachian State), Anthony Bynum (Middle Tennessee), Tyler Thompson (UNC), Paul Oyewale (TCU) - Thompson (6-4, 225), an edge rusher, should be at the top of the list as he had seven sacks and forced two fumbles in 2025.
TIGHT END
KEY DEPARTURES: Bauer Sharp.
TARGETS: Pearce Spurlin (Georgia), Brody Foley (Tulsa), - Foley (6-6 260) caught 37 passes for 528 yards and seven touchdowns in 2025. He could provide depth behind returning star Trey’Dez Green.
LSU coach Kim Mulkey and players and staff have had much to shout about so far this season.
Photo by: Michael Bacigalupi
TIME TO GET DOWN TO THE NITTY-GRITTY
LSU WOMEN’S BASKETBALL’S REAL SEASON STARTS NOW WITH OPENING OF SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE
E ntering Southeastern Conference play, the LSU women’s basketball team was undefeated and ranked in the top five nationally while leading the nation in scoring comfortably right around 110 points a game.
The various teams who have been No. 2 in the nation in scoring have been nearly 20 points back.
Through the light non-conference schedule that coach Kim Mulkey insists upon, the Tigers feasted in some major blowout wins. But none of that matters now.
A new season starts on New Year’s Day against Kentucky (7 p.m., SEC Network+), which was ranked in the top 15 in December while undefeated, in the SEC opener before a trip to Vanderbilt on Sunday, Jan. 4, in a nationally televised game (4 p.m., ESPN). Vanderbilt was also a top 15 team in December with one loss.
“I’m confident in these players because I know what lies ahead. They know what lies ahead,” Mulkey said. “We’re not naïve to think we’re a great team right now. We’re not naïve to think, ‘Oh, we’re scoring all these points, man. We’re good.’”
LSU was held to below 100 only twice through mid-December.
“No, we know. We know where we are,” Mulkey said. “But I’ve seen a lot of games this year. I know who the great teams are. And what we’re trying to do is, at some point when you reach the playoffs or before that when you get to conference play, you want to be able to compete with those great teams.”
Mulkey will learn what her team is capable of doing right away. Kentucky coach Kenny Brooks’ team had the nation’s No. 3 scoring defense through December.
In the first three weeks of conference play, LSU will face four Associated Press top 25 teams in Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Texas, which was No. 2 in December, and top 10 Oklahoma on the road.
“You’re not a great team in my opinion until you dominate on the defensive end,” Mulkey said. “And you may never dominate in our league, but you’ve got a lot of great teams you’re going to have to guard in our league. And I’ll hold my remarks until I see us against those great teams in the SEC.”
LSU’s defense was top 50 through non-conference, giving up about 56 points a game.
“WE’RE NOT NAIVE TO THINK, ‘OH, WE’RE SCORING ALL THESE POINTS, MAN. WE’RE GOOD.’ THEY KNOW WHAT LIES AHEAD.” - COACH KIM MULKEY
“I don’t have to go out there and tell them anything offensively,” Mulkey said. “They can all score it. We’ll tweak a thing here and there on offense, quick hitters, but our focus right now is defense. Our focus is full-court defense. If we’re going to play a lot of players, then we can press.”
Mulkey’s teams tend to score off their defense.
“Let’s do it,” she said. “They have to buy into what we’re doing defensively, and they’re trying. It doesn’t happen overnight. It is an everyday process with defense.”
LSU was picked to finish third in the SEC behind South Carolina and Texas, but it will have a chance to write its own destiny. After hosting Texas on Sunday, Jan. 11 (2 p.m., ESPN), they will travel to Austin for another national game on Thursday, February 5 (8 p.m., ESPN).
The Longhorns are the most battle-tested team in women’s college basketball as they entered conference play with wins over No. 4 UCLA, No. 3 South Carolina, No. 12 North Carolina and No. 13 Baylor. Texas also beat No. 24 Richmond in November.
Another one of the circled games on LSU’s conference schedule will be on Valentine’s Day. The Tigers host South Carolina, which was ranked No. 3 in December, on Saturday, Feb. 14, in a prime time nationally televised meeting (7:30 p.m., ABC). It will be LSU junior transfer guard MiLaysia Fulwiley’s first game against her former team.
The Tigers will also host top 20 Tennessee on Thursday, Feb. 26 (5 p.m., ESPN).
Among LSU’s other home opponents are Florida, Arkansas, Alabama and Missouri.
LSU’s road schedule includes facing one of the nation’s top scorers in sophomore guard Mikayla Blakes (25 points a game) of Vanderbilt on Jan. 4 before a Jan. 8 date at Georgia. Then it’s Jan. 18 at Oklahoma (2 p.m., ESPN2), which was No. 3 in the nation in scoring at 93 points a game in December.
The Tigers will also be on the road at Texas A&M, Auburn, Ole Miss, which was in the top 20 in December, and Mississippi State.
Mulkey appears to have one of her most talented LSU teams. The Tigers had seven players averaging double-figure points through December - senior guard Flau’jae Johnson (15.8), junior guard MiLaysia Fulwiley (15.7), junior guard Mikaylah Williams (13.2), freshman forward ZaKiyah Johnson (12.1), sophomore forward Kate Koval (11.9), senior forward Amiya Joyner (10.9) and freshman forward Grace Knox (10.5).
“I can tell you I have enjoyed coaching this team,” Mulkey said. “This team, I won’t compare it to other teams, but I’ll tell you, they do a lot of things together. When we’re on road trips, while we were in in the Virgin Islands, they do things together on their own. And I watch them on the floor, and it’s a really unique group. But let’s see what happens when we lose. Let’s see what happens when it gets really tough. I don’t think it’ll change. They’re having fun right now.”
Grace Knox
Photo by: Michael Bacigalupi
LSU WOMEN’S BASKETBALL GETTING MOST OUT OF ROSTER
FRESHMAN FORWARD GRACE KNOX IS DEVELOPING INTO YET ANOTHER WEAPON FOR AN ALREADY LOADED TEAM
T he No. 5 LSU women’s basketball team undefeated start entering Southeastern Conference play was not exactly against the best of competition.
But the weaker opponents have allowed more of the roster to develop more fully as coach Kim Mulkey brought in a top freshmen class while filling needs via the transfer portal with experience.
Through the first 12 games, seven Tigers were averaging double figures. Among them is 6-foot-2 freshman forward Grace Knox, who opened the season slowly but has quickly developed into one of LSU’s most dependable contributors in the post. The former five-star prospect arrived at LSU as ESPN’s No. 6 overall recruit in the Class of 2025.
Knox was averaging 10.4 points per game off the bench, and she has scored 10 or more points in every game except two - at Tulane and vs. Louisiana Tech in New Orleans.
“She has continued this little pattern to go up,” Mulkey said. “She has a great shot. She gets in there and battles with the bigs, and, you know, Grace is pretty polished.”
After losing Aneesah Morrow to the WNBA after last season, Knox is helping fill Morrow’s role by being a relentless rebounder. She is averaging 5.2 boards a game. Mulkey said Knox’s improvement comes directly from putting in the extra hours.
“Grace is into the weight room right now. She’s so much stronger than when she got here, and she’s really proud of that,” Mulkey said. “And I love that because she runs like a deer.” Knox has just tried to stay ready when called upon.
“I feel like I fit in pretty well to the style of play,” she said. “Just being able to run the floor and being able to be in position and help my team as best as I can. I mean, I feel like right now with all the players that we have and the returners we have, wherever I’m needed is where I want to be. I just want to be able to help this team get as far as we can and just play hard, honestly.”
Knox knows the competition will be much better in the SEC with ranked opponents much of the time, so she’s looking to improve her defense.
“Whether it’s quickness, whether it’s straight-line drives, just being in the right positions and being able to help my teammates whenever I can,” she said. “Just mentally preparing and getting ready for that. Just improvements in all areas that I can.”
Mulkey knew the Tigers wouldn’t have an Angel Reese or Aneesah Morrow on this year’s team to dominate inside, but with Knox’s recent emergence, LSU’s post play remains a strength.
“She’s hard to block out,” Mulkey said. “And she leaps out of the gym.”
The SEC’s two leading monsters from last season - Auburn and Florida - met in the 2025 Final Four. The Gators won and went on to win the national title.
Photo by: Auburn University Athletics
SEC MEN’S BASKETBALL NOT DOWN, BUT NOT QUITE THE 2024-25 MONSTER
SO, LSU LOOKS LIKE IT COULD MAKE SOME NOISE AND REACH NCAA TOURNAMENT
T echnically, Southeastern Conference men’s basketball is down headed into the 2026 league season.
If down is somewhat below Mount Everest, that is.
Last year at this time as the SEC season approached, the league had set the national, non-conference record at 157-20 for an .887 winning percentage. Second place is the Atlantic Coast Conference’s mark at .882 going into 2004.
The league had 10 teams ranked in the Associated Press poll with Tennessee (13-0) at No. 1 and Auburn (12-1) at No. 2. There were 15 in the top 50 of the NET (NCAA Evaluation Tool). All 16 SEC teams had at least a .750 winning percentage, including LSU at 11-2 for an .846 mark, marking the first time a conference did that since the eight-team ACC was .750 going into the 1984 league schedule.
And the SEC kept soaring as the league season went on. A national record 14 teams reached the NCAA Tournament, smashing the 11 set by the Big East in 2011.
Seven reached the Sweet 16, four made the Elite Eight and two reached the Final Four before No. 1 seed Florida beat No. 1 seed Auburn, 79-73, there and won the national championship with a 65-63 win over No. 1 seed Houston.
Two SEC teams did not reach the NCAA Tournament – 15th place LSU at 14-18 and 3-15 and 16th South Carolina at 12-20 and 2-16. Oklahoma and Texas made it at 20-14 and 6-12 and 19-16 and 6-12. Four others got in with 8-10 league marks and 20-win seasons.
It would be nearly impossible to follow that as so many star players moved on to the NBA, other pro leagues or graduated.
“Last year was an historic season,” LSU coach Matt McMahon said. “It was the greatest by a conference in the history of college basketball by a wide margin. There’s only one way to go after last year. That was ridiculous.”
Entering the last stages of the 2025-26 non-conference schedules, the SEC stood at 131-46 for a .740 winning percentage for fourth nationally. The Big 12 led the way at .760, but well off the SEC pace of 2024-25.
There were seven SEC teams ranked in the A.P. poll but none in the top 12 – 13. Vanderbilt, 14. Arkansas, 16. Alabama, 20. Tennessee, 21. Auburn, 23. Florida and 25. Georgia with LSU and Kentucky receiving votes with 19 apiece.
In the NET, the SEC had nine teams in the top 50, but none higher than No. 8 Vanderbilt and no one else in the top 10. LSU was ninth with a 37 NET.
“I THINK THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES THERE. THE LEAGUE IS STILL REALLY GOOD. AND I THINK YOU’LL SEE A TON OF TEAMS MAKE THE NCAA TOURNAMENT.”
- COACH MATT MCMAHON
What does this mean? With the Tigers looking significantly improved over last season, particularly inside, they will have a better chance of beating higher level SEC teams and get to 9-9 or close to it in the league and around 20 wins.
“They look like an SEC team,” said former LSU coach/radio analyst John Brady, who won two SEC regular season titles and reached the 2006 Final Four and 2000 Sweet 16. “They didn’t have that look last year.”
Considering the SEC still remains a power, a 9-9 mark will likely be more than what LSU needs to get in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2022 under former coach Will Wade. An 8-10 mark could do it. Maybe 7-11.
“I think there are opportunities there,” McMahon said. “It is still, by far if you look at the computer rankings, the No. 1 league in the country. The league is still really good. Still think you’ll see a ton of teams make the NCAA Tournament.”
LSU opens SEC play on Saturday, Jan. 3, at Texas A&M (3 p.m., ESPNU), but three of the next four are at home. If LSU comes out of that at 3-2, the Tigers will be on their way.
LSU hosts South Carolina on Jan. 6 (6 p.m., ESPNU) before a trip to No. 13 Vanderbilt on Jan. 10 (Noon, SEC Network). Two home games follow against Kentucky on Jan. 14 (6 p.m., SEC Network) and Missouri on Jan. 17 (2:30 p.m., SEC Network). A trip to defending national champion and No. 23 Florida follows on Jan. 20 (6 p.m., ESPN2).
Other notable games have LSU at No. 20 Tennessee on Feb. 14 (5 p.m., SEC Network), at home against No. 16 Alabama on Feb. 21 (5 p.m., SEC Network) and at No. 21 Auburn on March 3 (SEC Network).
The SEC Tournament will be in Nashville, March 11-15.
If LSU ends up on the bubble and looking at a 7-11 or 6-10 league finish, the quality of wins will be significant. And it will be hard to be decent in the SEC without Quad 1 wins. LSU enters the league with one already in its pocket – 89-77 over SMU in New Orleans on Dec. 13.
“There will be a lot of Quad 1 opportunities in the league,” McMahon said. “You’ve got to win some of them.”
SMU had a 31 NET when it lost to LSU, which did not have power forward Jalen Reed, who was lost for the season with an Achilles injury.
When LSU lost Reed eight games into last season to a knee injury, there went LSU’s chances of doing anything.
Not so this season with LSU still looking strong inside with 6-foot-10 center Mike Nwoko (15.5 points, 5.4 rebounds), 6-9 forward Marquel Sutton (14.1 points, 9.2 rebounds), 6-7 Pablo Tamba (6.4 points, 7.3 rebounds) playing consistently well, and 6-10 Robert Miller (6.3 points, 3.5 rebounds) off the bench.
LSU is also shooting better from three-point range.
And McMahon has the best point guard he has had in his fourth season at LSU in junior Dedan Thomas Jr. (15.2 points, 6.6 assists).
“He lets you sleep well at night,” McMahon said, “when you have a guy like that running the team.”
Pablo Tamba
Photo by: Michael Bacigalupi
LSU MEN’S BASKETBALL HAS A NEW WEAPON
LOOK OUT FOR THE TAMBA-HAWK CHOP OF VERSATILE TRANSFER FORWARD PABLO TAMBA THIS SEASON
B eware the Tamba-Hawk at LSU men’s basketball games this SEC season.
And don’t be surprised if LSU fans start the Tamba-Hawk Chop cheer and motion made famous by the Atlanta Braves in the 1990s with the Tomahawk Chop.
“I like that,” LSU coach Matt McMahon said of the Tamba-Hawk nickname starting during a Tiger Rag Radio appearance recently.
LSU’s wiry 6-foot-7, 206-pound senior transfer forward Pablo Tamba of California-Davis via his hometown of Malaga, Spain, at times this season has been unstoppable.
In an impressive, 89-77 Quad 1 win over SMU in New Orleans on Dec. 13, for example, Tamba scored 14 points on 7-of-9 shooting inside and grabbed 10 rebounds with three steals and two assists.
“You saw his motor,” McMahon said. “He plays with great energy on both ends.”
Tamba and the Tigers open SEC play at Texas A&M on Jan. 3 (3 p.m., ESPN), and the Tigers’ newfound inside presence with Tamba and others could make LSU a contender for an NCAA Tournament bid.
LSU’s win over what was a 9-1 SMU team with a No. 31 NET (NCAA Evaluation Tool) pushed the Tigers to a NET 32.
And Tamba put on a show. From the 15:55 mark of the first half against the Mustangs until 13:24, he fed guard Max Mackinnon for a three-pointer, dunked in his own flying offensive rebound following a missed three-pointer by Dedan Thomas Jr. for a 16-14 lead at 14:17, tipped in another offensive rebound at 13:42 for an 18-16 lead, and made a steal and scored on a fast break layup for a 20-16 advantage that led to an SMU timeout at 13:24.
“You saw him really flourish in transition and crashing the glass,” McMahon said. “After the missed three by D.J., he came from the top of the key to dunk with two hands in traffic. And there was the lob pass from D.J. at half court. He caught it, and reversed with his left hand all in one motion on the other side of the rim. That was like the ‘E’ in H-O-R-S-E-type shot. Just thought he was fantastic out there.”
Tamba has been making up for the loss of 6-10 junior power forward Jalen Reed, who is out for the season with Achilles injury suffered on Nov. 28 against Drake.
With Reed out, starters Mike Nwoko, a 6-10 junior transfer forward, Tamba and 6-9 senior transfer wing Marquel Sutton will be getting more minutes along with Robert Miller III, a 6-10 returning sophomore forward off the bench.
Reed had been coming into his own after missing all but eight games last season with a knee injury.
“I think we’re well equipped,” McMahon said. “I’m absolutely devastated and heartbroken about the situation with Jalen. But I do like our personnel with the versatility. Pablo can guard any position and can do a lot on offense.”
Jay Clark
Photo by: LSU Athletics
LSU GYMNASTICS
IS RELOADED AND READY FOR 2026
COACH JAY CLARK’S TIGERS HAVE THEIR EYES ON ANOTHER NATIONAL TITLE RUN
T he No. 2 LSU gymnastics team is coming off another remarkable year. The Tigers made it to Forth Worth, Texas, for the National Championship meet in 2025 for the third years in a row.
But once you have won it all as LSU did in 2024, that taste lingers.
LSU lost some of its best gymnasts in program history after last season in Aleah Finnegan and Haleigh Bryant, but coach Jay Clark and Co. went out and reloaded. The Tigers added graduate student Courtney Blackmon (Boise State), senior Emily Innes (Washington) and junior Madison Ulrich (Denver) in the Transfer Portal.
Blackmon is a two-time All-American before a gap year off last season. She will compete in strictly bars and vault this season.
In 2025, Innes was named to the Big 10 All-Conference Team on floor. She will compete in bars, vault and floor.
Ulrich, a three-time All-American, placed third in the all-around in the NCAA Regional in Salt Lake, Utah, last season.
Not only did the Tigers add major talent in the transfer portal, they return some of the best gymnasts in the country in sophomore Kailin Chio, junior Amari Drayton, sophomore Kaliya Lincoln, junior Konnor McClain, junior Kylie Coen and sophomore Lexi Zeiss.
“It’s tremendous. It’s not often that you get underclassmen to come in immediately and have that kind of impact the way that they have,” Clark told Tiger Rag. “So yeah, the future’s bright, and it’s great to know that we’re going to have that core together for a little while longer, as we bring in some of these classes that are coming behind them that are big and have a lot of star power to them as well.”
In addition to the returners, LSU signed one of the top freshmen classes with Nina Ballou, Molly Brinkman, Haley Mustari and Elyse Wenner.
Ballou will compete in the all-around each week, while Mustari will go in the bar and beam.
Chio was named SEC Freshman of the Year in 2025 as she put up scores of 9.900 or better in at least three events in nine meets and won 20 titles, with six of those on vault, five in the all-around, four on bars, three on beam and two on floor.
Clark believes when it’s all said and done, Chio could be one of the best gymnasts in LSU history.
“In the 36 years of doing this, I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a freshman just nail it any better than that,” he said. “I mean, she was a nine-time All-American as a freshman, and that’s unheard of. And I’ve coached some good ones, but that was pretty unbelievable.”
Heading into the 2026 season, Chio is focused on making sure the LSU standard is upheld.
“She’s just matured, and she’s learning to give herself a little bit of grace every now and then,” Clark said. “She’s such a perfectionist in everything she does, whether it’s school or gym or anything else. I think she’s totally on board with everything we’re doing and why we do it. I just think there’s been a tremendous amount of growth just in terms of her mental maturity and mindset.”
LSU will open the season in West Valley City, Utah, on January 10 in the Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad Meet against the likes of No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 4 UCLA and No. 5 Utah.
Since the 2025 finish left the team heartbroken and unsatisfied on the last day of competition at the nationals, Clark wants the Tigers to start the new season off with a fresh flourish.
“I really want them to kind of set their jaw early, and let’s get off to a great start and kind of rinse that bad taste out of our mouth,” he said. “We weren’t bad on the final day. We just were average for us, and it has kind of lingered where you just don’t like the way that feels.”
Conference action will again be difficult as every SEC team is ranked in the top 15. LSU faces No. 12 Georgia, No. 9 Kentucky, No. 7 Missouri, No. 11 Auburn, No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 8 Alabama, No. 3 Florida and No. 10 Arkansas this season.
“The odds of going undefeated in this league now are slim to none, and so I’m sure we’ll take some lumps as we go,” Clark said. “But I really like where this team can go, and I think we’re certainly capable of winning it all again this year.”
Clark already liked the team’s attitude a month before the season was to begin.
“Their attitude is one that has kind of a set-jaw resolve right now,” he said. “And I fully expect them to get off to a great start.”
LSU TRACK AND FIELD’S RACE AGAINST TIME
BOTH TIGERS’ TEAMS WILL TRY TO CLOSE THE DISTANCE FROM THEIR LAST NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RUNS IN THE 2026 SEASON
Jaiden Reid
Photo by: LSU Athletics
T he LSU men’s track and field team is coming off successful indoor and outdoor seasons, but the Tigers are looking to win or contend for their first national championship since 2021 in outdoor.
Coach Dennis Shaver, who will be entering his 22nd season, returns a strong nucleus throughout the roster and transfer portal additions to reload depth.
LSU finished No. 28 last season after the NCAA Outdoor championships in Eugene, Oregon.
The Tigers return senior Gregory Prince, senior Shakeem McKay, sophomore Amal Glasgow, junior Jaiden Reid, senior Matthew Sophia, senior Jaheim Stern, senior Myles Thomas and senior Jeremiah Walker.
LSU is losing one of its best sprinters in sophomore Jelani Watkins, who earned first team All-America honors and two second team mentions in 2025. But after limited time as a wide receiver on the football team, he entered the portal.
LSU added junior Grant Buckmiller (Washington State), junior Joshua Caleb (Alaska-Anchorage), sophomore Jazonte Levan (USC) and junior Isaac Lewis (Iowa) in the portal to add to its loaded sprinters squad.
In the high jump, LSU returns senior Kuda Chadenga, senior Jordan Turner, sophomore Kam Franklin and sophomore Justine Jimoh.
In throws, LSU returns senior Jevan Parara, senior Jaden James, sophomore Paul Catalanatto Jr. and sophomore Chad Hendricks.
The Tigers will start their indoor season on January 16 with the Purple Tiger meet at the Carl Maddox Field House.
Women’s Track and Field
The LSU women’s track and field team, which is also coached by Dennis Shaver, has not won a national championship since 2008 in outdoor. The Tigers finished No. 13 at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon last year.
Starting with the sprinters, the Tigers bring back five-time first team All-American Ella Onojuvwevwo. A senior this season, Onojuvwevwo finished fourth in the 400-meter at the NCAA Outdoor Championships last year.
LSU also brings back other major production from sprinters with junior Aniyah Bigam, junior Tima Godbless and sophomores Makeriah Harris and Nasya Williams. The Tigers added two of the top sprinter transfers in fifth-year senior Salieci Myles (William Carey) and junior La’Nica Locker (Hinds Community College).
LSU’s long distance runners return multiple key figures, including fifth-year senior Callie Hardy and sophomore Edna Chepkemoi. The Tigers return young but experienced veterans in sophomores Yuya Sawada, Ahry Comer, Ava Gumb, Maddie Gump, Jenna Key, Anna Pierce, Taylor Tarpley, Natalie Venkataraman and Brynn Kelso.
Redshirt sophomore returnee Princesse Hyman finished No. 3 overall at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the discus. The Tigers return junior Ambria Langley and redshirt sophomore Leah Acosta in discus.
In the javelin, Trinity Spooner enters her junior year along with junior Alexis Guillory.
Sophomore Jolie Dormus-Bayer is the only returning high jumper.
The Tigers open their season on Jan. 16, hosting the LSU Purple Tiger.
Alessio Vasquez
Photo by: LSU Athletics
SERVING UP WINNERS
LSU MEN’S TENNIS HOPING TO REDEEM ITSELF, WHILE LSU WOMEN HOPE TO BUILD OFF BANNER YEAR
T he 2026 LSU men’s tennis team can basically go nowhere but up, or at least that is the hope.
The Tigers fell to 12-17 overall and 1-13 in the Southeastern Conference last season.
Danny Bryan, who played at LSU from 2003-07 with 194 wins for second most in program history, enters his fourth season as coach. A former LSU assistant coach from 2008-15 under Jeff Brown, Bryan was Wichita State’s head coach from 2016-21.
Bryan needs key players like junior Alessio Vasquez, sophomore Andrej Loncarevic and sophomore Sasa Markovic to have significant seasons. The Tigers added Alabama senior transfer Matias Ponce De Leon.
Vasques, a native of Berlin, Germany, had 15 singles wins and 15 doubles wins last season. Loncarevic, who is from Valence, France, had 14 singles wins and eight doubles victories last year.
Markovic, a native of Loznica, Serbia, earned nine singles wins and eight doubles victories last season. Ponce De Leon led Alabama last year with 28 singles wins.
LSU opens the season on January 16 at Clemson.
LSU WOMEN
The LSU women’s tennis team is in a near exact opposite situation as the men as they are coming of a program-best 24-8 season, which included tying for most SEC wins in a season at 10.
The Tigers reached the NCAA Super Regional round before losing to No. 5 North Carolina. LSU returns the nucleus of last year’s team and has signed some talented freshmen under fourth-year coach Taylor Fogleman.
Fogleman has led the team to three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and the program’s deepest finish in the postseason since 2000.
The Tigers return major contributors in sophomores Cadence Brace, Kayla Cross and Kinaa Graham along with junior Kenna Erickson. And senior Florentine Dekkers will be back from a season-ending injury last year to provide more depth.
Brace, who was named a singles and doubles All-American and SEC Freshman of the Year last season, returns for her second year after posting 14 singles wins, including 11 against ranked opponents, and 12 doubles with nine of those against ranked foes.
Cross was a doubles All-American last season after tallying 11 singles wins and 12 doubles victories.
Graham and Erickson combined for eight singles and six doubles victories.
The Tigers freshmen are Carolina Kuhl, Addison Lanton, Alexia Marginean and Ioana Sava.
The Tigers’ schedule had not been finalized by Tiger Rag’s deadline, but the team is expected to start the season on Jan. 16.
Lane Kiffin
Photo by: Michael Bacigalupi
THE MONEY GAME
COLLEGE FOOTBALL’S NEW BALANCE SHEET: REVENUE SHARING, NIL AND THE LOOMING PRIVATE-EQUITY PLAYBOOK
W hen Lane Kiffin stepped to the podium on a damp December afternoon in Baton Rouge, the setting -- South Stadium Club overlooking a rain-soaked Tiger Stadium -- felt almost subdued.
Yet the real drama lay not in the muted roar of the crowd but in the numbers behind Kiffin’s seven-year contract, which averages just over $13 million a year and carries an LSU commitment to funnel $25 million to $30 million annually into player compensation.
That total, drawn from a combination of direct revenue sharing and third-party name, image and likeness (NIL) agreements, eclipses the $20.5 million annual limit set by last year’s landmark House v. NCAA settlement and underscores how college football has effectively shed its amateur model.
About 500 people — half journalists, half boosters and donors who have long bankrolled LSU’s ambitions -- witnessed the announcement.
But those inside the deal say the headline salary figure is only the beginning.
“The resources here allow you to compete for championships every year,” said one person involved in the negotiations, pointing to a financial ecosystem that has become as strategic as any NFL salary cap.
SEC ECONOMICS IN A POST-SETTLEMENT ERA
Since the July 2024 NCAA antitrust settlement, the so-called amateur cap has become more of an accounting benchmark than a hard ceiling.
In the Southeastern Conference, where schools already receive more than $52 million apiece in media-rights distributions, programs routinely layer unlimited third-party NIL commitments on top of the capped amount. Those deals, channeled through collectives and corporate partnerships, must now clear a Deloitte-administered review process for any transaction above $600.
But in practice, the money flows freely.
At LSU, roughly 75% of the university’s annual revenue-sharing pool -- about $13.5 million to $15 millions -- is earmarked for football, according to people familiar with the budget. The remaining funds support men’s and women’s basketball and Olympic sports and help expand scholarships to maintain Title IX compliance.
Supplementing that base is the Bayou Traditions collective which now works directly with the Tiger Athletic Foundation and a cascade of corporate partnerships, including a recently signed 10-year extension with Nike. Through the new Nike Blue Ribbon Elite program, selected athletes receive branding support and long-term marketing opportunities, a model rapidly gaining traction across the Power Four.
“When you look at the Big 12’s Texas Tech merging booster clubs to raise $14 million for football revenue sharing, you see that mid-tier programs are identifying creative ways to close the gap,” said an athletics-finance consultant who asked not to be named.
At Texas, now in its second SEC season, projected football compensation is set to exceed $35 million annually--nearly double the cap.
“THIS ISN’T CHARITY ANYMORE. IT’S A BUSINESS, AND WE’RE STRUCTURING IT TO WIN,” SAID ONE LONGTIME LSU DONOR.
TRANSFER PORTAL AND COACHING MARKETPLACE
Kiffin’s departure from Ole Miss -- where he marshaled an 11-win playoff team largely through transfer-portal acumen -- reflects the new financial arms race.
Oxford’s donor pool simply couldn’t match Baton Rouge’s deep pockets or Louisiana’s talent pipeline.
“Oxford could compete on X’s and O’s, but not on dollars,” observed a former SEC athletic director.
The outcome, as LSU donors see it, is a formula for sustained success: lure a high-profile coach, spend aggressively on player compensation, and maintain recruiting dominance.
Opendorse, a leading NIL marketplace, estimates total player earnings across college football reached $1.9 billion in 2025, even as pure collective spending has tapered slightly from prior peaks. Many schools “front-loaded” large NIL commitments before the clearinghouse rules took effect, locking in multiyear obligations and giving athletes and coaches negotiating leverage well above the amateur standard.
PRIVATE EQUITY AND THE NEXT FRONTIER
The SEC has so far resisted the overtures of private investors, relying instead on robust booster loyalty and massive media revenue.
“We haven’t needed outside capital yet,” said a senior conference official.
Yet financial pressures are mounting: many athletic departments project operating deficits for fiscal 2026 as they absorb full revenue-sharing commitments.
Line items for recruiting, coaching salaries, facilities upgrades and compliance have ballooned, outpacing traditional revenue streams.
Where the SEC holds back, the Big Ten flirted with a $2 billion conference-wide private equity investment before ultimately walking away. The University of Utah, however, closed a deal with Otro Capital in December to create a for-profit athletic entity -- a structure poised to inject hundreds of millions over time. Should costs continue to escalate, other Power Four programs may follow suit, blending charitable dollars with for-profit capital to underwrite the new normal.
CHASING NEW REVENUE STREAMS
To mitigate swelling outlays, athletic departments are exploring on-field advertising, potential jersey patches and expanded sponsorship inventory. Some are even weighing in-game betting partnerships to tap into one of the fastest-growing segments of the sports-entertainment market.
Meanwhile, traditional drivers -- season-ticket sales, premium seating, corporate suites -- remain vital.
LSU reported that days after Kiffin’s introduction, season-ticket sales jumped by 15,000, and donations climbed even higher.
While Tiger Stadium’s night games still draw more than 100,000 fans, the calculus is increasingly financial.
“This isn’t charity anymore. It’s a business—and we’re structuring it to win,” said one longtime LSU donor.
For investors and analysts tracking the collegiate landscape, the parallels to a fragmented professional league are undeniable: high fixed costs, talent mobility via the portal, and revenue concentrated among a handful of dominant conferences. The SEC’s media deals alone generate cash flows rivaling mid-tier pro sports leagues, and as sponsors seek authenticity and captive audiences, the appeal of college football only grows.
INSTITUTIONAL IMPLICATIONS
Academic leaders and state lawmakers are beginning to question the arms-race trajectory.
Endowment draws, student fees and classroom resources can become hostage to the demands of big-ticket athletics. Some universities are imposing internal caps or seeking to redistribute revenue more equitably among non-revenue sports. But with alumni and local businesses steeped in football tradition, change moves slowly.
For Lane Kiffin, the financial windfall comes with intensified expectations.
His contract includes performance bonuses for wins, bowl appearances and playoff berths; a failure to deliver could trigger buyouts or a rapid coaching carousel. Yet in an era when the financial stakes dwarf those of even the most lucrative professional appointments, patience is in short supply.
As college football hurtles toward a landscape dominated by commercial imperatives, LSU’s gambit serves as a bellwether.
THE RAIN DOESN’T DAMPEN THE LEDGER TURNING RED
Whether Kiffin can translate the bank’s largesse into championships -- and whether the model can sustain itself without outside capital -- will be among the sport’s most closely watched storylines in the years ahead.
OVERTIME BOTTOM'S UP
RANKING LSU WOMEN’S BASKETBALL SEC SCHEDULE BY MOST EXCITING MATCHUPS – 1 THROUGH 12
A daunting SEC schedule awaits the No. 5 LSU women’s basketball team, but the Tigers appear equipped with the depth and talent necessary to improve upon last year’s 12–4 conference record and third place finish.
It won’t be easy though. In their first three weeks of SEC play, LSU will be tasked with facing four Associated Press top 25 teams - No. 12 Kentucky, at No. 13 Vanderbilt, No. 2 Texas and at No. 8 Oklahoma.
And it’s just what the Tigers will need after an easy non-conference slate.
The Tigers 2026 SEC schedule features many interesting matchups, and here’s how I rank them from 1-12 based on most exciting.
1. South Carolina at LSU, Feb. 14 - The can’t-miss match-up is set for a Valentine’s Day blood bath between two of the best teams in the SEC. Not only will this be a pivotal game for the standings, but it will be the first time LSU junior transfer guard MiLaysia Fulwiley faces her former team and could be the first time Kim Mulkey as LSU’s coach beats South Carolina coach Dawn Staley.
2. Texas at LSU, Jan. 11 - The Longhorns and Tigers will battle it out early in conference play in what will most likely be a top five matchup. LSU looks to avenge its two losses to Texas in 2024, and the game will feature some of the most fun match-ups, including Texas’ Madison Booker versus LSU’s Mikaylah Williams.
3. LSU at Texas, Feb. 5 - Based on what happens in the first matchup in January, the second duel will be more meaningful for both teams when it comes to SEC finishes.
4. LSU at Oklahoma, Jan. 18 - Oklahoma’s dynamic team returned most of its production this season with senior center Raegan Beers, senior guard Peyton Verhulst and junior forward Sahara Williams, but also added one of the top freshmen in the nation in Aaliyah Chavez, who’s leading the Sooners in scoring with 18.8 point a game. LSU’s contest with Oklahoma last season ended with 207 combined points, so if you like scoring, this is going to be one to watch.
5. Kentucky at LSU, Jan. 1 – What better way to start conference play for the Tigers than to with Kentucky? Kenny Brooks vs Kim Mulkey is always entertaining television. LSU’s No. 1 scoring offense versus Kentucky’s top five scoring defense sets up for an electric game.
6. LSU at Ole Miss, Feb. 19 - Last season, LSU’s senior night was spoiled by head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin’s Rebels. It is already circled on the calendar.
7. Tennessee at LSU, Feb. 20 - The Tigers and Lady Vols met twice last season, which both ended in LSU wins, but by only a combined seven points. Expect this year’s edition in Baton Rouge to also go down to the wire as head coach Kim Caldwell almost always has her team prepared to play in big games.
8. LSU at Vanderbilt, Jan. 4 - The Tigers’ defense will be tested early in this as LSU’s back court will be tasked with defending one of the nation’s top scorers in sophomore Mikayla Blakes, who entered SEC play averaging about 24 points a game.
9. Alabama at LSU, Feb. 1 - LSU will get a chance to make amends for its crazy 2025 loss to the Crimson Tide. Alabama had the No. 3 scoring defense in the country and is one of the most underrated and overlooked teams in the country as it finished non-conference play undefeated.
10. LSU at Georgia - Georgia is another team in the SEC that’s being overlooked as it finished its non-conference schedule undefeated, including a 20-point win over Florida State. The Lady Bulldogs could certainly make things interesting as they had the No. 7 scoring defense in the nation.
11. LSU at Mississippi State, March.1 - Mississippi State isn’t the most talented team in the conference, but this could be a close game as the Tigers are expected to draw a full Humphrey Coliseum in Starkville.
12. Florida at LSU, Jan. 26 - The Gators have one of the best players in the country in sophomore guard Liv McGill, who averaged over 26 points in non-conference games. Whether she’s matched with LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson or MiLaysia Fulwiley, it will be an interesting one-on-one battle.
OVERTIME EXTRA POINTS
L ane Kiffin didn’t just take the LSU job -- he seized a golden opportunity to pair his offensive genius with one of college football’s premier programs.
Hired on November 30, 2025, after a dramatic departure from Ole Miss, the 50-year-old Kiffin arrives in Baton Rouge with a proven track record, unlimited resources, and a clear mandate to restore the Tigers to national contention.
While no hire is a guarantee, several factors point to Kiffin delivering quick results, potentially turning LSU into an SEC powerhouse as early as 2026. First and foremost is Kiffin’s unparalleled offensive acumen.
Over six seasons at Ole Miss -- a program with limited historical success -- he compiled a 55-19 record, including four 10-win campaigns and an unprecedented 11-1 regular season in 2025. His Rebels offenses consistently ranked among the nation’s elite, frequently top-10 in total yards and top15 in scoring since 2020. Kiffin transformed quarterbacks like Matt Corral and Jaxson Dart into stars and masterfully integrated transfer portal talent to create explosive units.
In 2025 alone, Ole Miss averaged high-scoring outputs, humiliating defenses with innovative schemes.
At LSU, Kiffin inherits a roster far superior to what he began with in Oxford.
The Tigers boast Louisiana’s fertile in-state talent pipeline, bottomless NIL funding, and a fanbase that fills 102,000-seat Death Valley with deafening energy (most of the time.)
Brian Kelly’s 2025 offense sputtered to dismal rankings -- near the bottom nationally in points and yards -- despite a solid defense.
Kiffin, who declared at his December 1 introductory press conference that LSU will be “the No. 1 destination for elite players in all of America,” thrives on wide-open, quarterback-friendly attacks.
With his “Portal King” reputation -- he landed top-five transfer classes multiple years at Ole Miss -- and LSU’s resources, expect an immediate infusion of skill-position talent to unlock explosive potential.
Recruiting will be another accelerator.
Kiffin is a social media savant and NIL maestro, fluent in the modern game’s demands. He emphasized starting in Louisiana, a talent hotbed, and his vision -- “We don’t just think outside the box - we create a new box” -- aligns perfectly with LSU’s championship pedigree (four national titles).
Pair that with athletic director Verge Ausberry’s support, whom Kiffin praised as “one of the best in the business” committed to winning with integrity, and the infrastructure is elite.
Mentors like Nick Saban and Pete Carroll reportedly urged Kiffin to take the job, warning he’d regret passing on LSU’s stage.
Kiffin’s maturity adds to the optimism.
Scarred by early stops at Tennessee, USC, and the NFL, he’s evolved into a complete head coach. His Ole Miss tenure featured sustained success, multiple New Year’s Six bowls, and wins over ranked foes, including multiple victories over LSU itself.
At a blue-blood program with expanded playoff access, the ceiling is higher.
A seven-year, $91 million contract underscores LSU’s commitment, making Kiffin one of the highest-paid coaches and freeing him to focus on winning.
Challenges exist -- staff transitions (like interim Frank Wilson’s move to Ole Miss) and integrating new pieces -- but Kiffin’s track record of rapid turnarounds suggests he’ll adapt swiftly. He’s already assembling an impressive staff, blending holdovers like defensive coordinator Blake Baker with his trusted lieutenants.
LSU fans, starved for the fireworks missing under Kelly’s conservative approach, have reason to be excited.
Kiffin didn’t mince words: “Let’s go to work. Geaux Tigers.”
With his schemes, recruiting prowess, and LSU’s advantages, the Lane Train could reach contender status faster than a lot of people expect.
In an era of instant impact via the portal, 2026 might bring not just improvement, but dominance.
Get the popcorn ready -- Death Valley is about to light up.
Todd Horne is the vice president and executive editor of Tiger Rag and started covering LSU sports in 1986. He is a graduate of LSU’s Journalism School. Reach Todd at todd@tigerrag.com
OVERTIME MOTIVATIONAL MOMENTS
EVERY SAINT HAS A PAST AND EVERY SINNER HAS A FUTURE
O scar Wilde described all 8 billion of us on this earth perfectly when he said, “Every Saint has a past and every sinner has a future.” My mentor coach John Wooden told me the way he handled criticism was to realize the following: “I imagine that I am neither as good as some people thing, nor as bad some others consider me to be. Perhaps I am more like the one who said, I am not what I ought to be, not what I want to be, not what I am going to be, but I am thankful, I am not what I used to be. Whenever you are in the public eye, you will receive a large amount of praise and a lot of unjustifiable criticism and you should not be unduly affected by either. People want you to be perfect. But we are not perfect. We are all fallible, flawed people. That’s the reality of life.”
Blessings to you and your family
“You don’t have to be angry to be courageous. Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi all kept their emotions in check as they advanced their peoples cause.” – Scott Davis
“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear but the triumph over it.” – Nelson Mandela
“One isn’t necessarily born with courage, but one is born with potential. Without courage we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency.” – Maya Angelou
“You’re betraying your whole life if you don’t say what you think.” – Charles Krauthammer
“You are not only responsible for what you say, but for what you do not say. Why is it that the children of darkness and evil are much more aggressive and vociferous than the children of light and goodness?” – Martin Luther King
“Courage is the first of human qualities because it is the quality that guarantees all the others.” – Winston Churchill
“It takes courage not be discouraged.” – Ben Ferencz
“Evil is relentless but fragile. It can be crushed by courage.” – Michael Anthony
“Those who do not have the courage to speak out against evil command it be done.” – Leonardo da Vinci
During these very chaotic times in our country, we must all ask ourselves, ‘Do we have true courage to speak out for what we believe?’”
If we do not, then what Doctor Harry Edwards warned us will happen, “Silence is evil’s greatest ally.” All through the history of the world whenever good compromised with evil, evil always won. Albert Einstein profoundly states, “The world is a dangerous place to live, not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don’t do anything about it.”
The President and Congress have done a horrendous job of uniting us and they should be ashamed of their constant bickering, lies, childish behavior and political games. We have tolerated this embarrassing act of self-gratification. We need them to read Matthew: 20-26 on a daily basis, “Whoever wants to become great among you shall be your servant.”
Coach John Wooden described great leadership perfectly, “You must have love in your heart for the people under your leadership and a leader who tries to lead without love will turn around one day and find there is nobody following.”
OVERTIME KLEINPETER DIARY
P oised to make a nationwide splash hire for its suddenly struggling football program, the Jaguar brain trust landed NFL Hall of Famer and New Orleans native Marshall Faulk, and it barely caused a ripple because of the monthlong fire/hire tsunami at LSU.
It didn’t matter that Southern got a seven-day jump by firing head coach Terrence Graves before Brian Kelly got the axe across town. The dumpster-firing hiring was only exceeded by an indecorous hiring of Lane Kiffin, who deserted his 11-1 and playoff bound Ole Miss
Talk about your lousy timing.
But Southern isn’t alone. The shenanigans at LSU swamped nearly all of the college football and inundated the news cycle for more than a month. Kelly was fired Oct. 26 – we think – and it wasn’t until Michigan coach Sherrone Moore diddled his way to disgrace that the Tigers were pushed from the front page.
LSU football has been at the national forefront many times with four national titles and a rather embarrassing finish in a second-place season. Les Miles had some head-scratching, unorthodox moments with his coaching style, personal habits and mangled verbiage.
The nation sympathized when newly-hired Bo Rein died in a freak plane crash before coaching his first game in 1980. And many remember the “Crazy Days at LSU” Sports Illustrated cover headline involving basketball coach Dale Brown, athletic director Bob Broadhead and even the FBI.
What we have going now is the all-time, look-at-us-in-the-spotlight period, because it isn’t over. Moving forward, many things Kiffin does are going to draw attention here under normal circumstances they wouldn’t. Transfer portal acquisitions will be scrutinized, NLI signing day will get a second look and the start of spring practice will probably attract some national media members.
Kiffin, with his knack for subtle jabs delivered via social media, will no doubt drop a few troll-bombs up to and through next season. It’s known well he just can’t help himself, the kind of thing fans love only when it’s their coach doing the dropping.
And which football game in the 2026 season is circled on more calendars than the Sept. 19 LSU-Ole Miss clash when Kiffin returns to Oxford. I’m quite certain right now there isn’t a free hotel room left within 50 miles of Oxford for that weekend. It sure makes the SEC schedule makers look good.
This width and depth of attention is really helping the LSU brand in the still evolving world of college football. That type of spotlight will help attract more and better players. There has been quite a bit of backlash against the school’s perceived methods but it’s only being guided by the forces of the market.
LSU went out and got the coach it wanted and likely would have waited for Kiffin to finish his season with the Rebels. Leaving when he did is on Kiffin, and a byte of cautionary data for LSU to store. There is some talk he prizes the Alabama job as the pinnacle of his profession. Wouldn’t losing another coach to the Tide be a tough karma pill for LSU fans to gag on.
We will see more of this moving forward as billions pour into college football via a playoff system that almost assuredly will go from 12 to 16 teams. Group of 4 schools and even some less traditional Power 5s who fight their way in will find themselves fending off those with richer traditions and financial reserves.
College football will continue to follow the NFL model. Coach poaching, free agency, player agents, maybe even a salary cap, will grow with the product. For those who don’t like where it’s all going, you should pay attention to the product on the field. It’s as good or better than it ever has been and that’s what counts.
As the 2026 season nears, the Baton Rouge summer will be rife with hope from both the Southern and LSU camps. On Scott’s Bluff, Faulk will try to make a splash in the mold of what Deion Sanders did at Jackson State and create his own tsunami in SWAC play. But it’s going to seem like a ripple, especially by Sept. 19.
Jim Kleinpeter is a graduate of the LSU School of Journalism. He has been a sportswriter for 45 years, including 33 at the Times-Picayune. Reach him at jkleinpeter@gmail.com.
OVERTIME STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
IS KIFFIN CHAMP OR CHUMP?
S ometimes, winds of change blow in unexpected directions.
Predicting the next football coach at LSU is as unsure as annual forecasts from the National Hurricane Center. Recent coaching storms reveal the Ole War Skule has pivoted from a model of elevating assistants or head coaches at lesser powers to a chase for the best available coach in America.
When Paul Dietzel left for West Point in January of 1962, the LSU job was considered by many astute analysts to be the best in the country. Rather than scout the nation for heavyweight prospects, LSU Athletic Director Jim Corbett promoted Dietzel assistant Charles McClendon. It would have been considered ungentlemanly or too costly to pursue Bear Bryant or Woody Hayes or John McKay.
Mac logged 18 mostly successful seasons, but when he was nudged out in 1979, LSU leaders provided a glimpse of the fall of 2025. Board member Charles Cusimano was dispatched to Fayetteville on a mission to coax Lou Holtz of Arkansas this way, but the trip was futile.
Dietzel then offered the plum to Florida State’s Bobby Bowden, who said no after his undefeated Seminoles beat LSU at Tiger Stadium on Oct. 27 by a narrow 24-19 score.
Dietzel turned his focus to 34-year-old Bo Rein, who perished in a plane crash 42 days after he was seduced from a comfortable perch at North Carolina State. There, he captured a conference title in his fourth season. Rein was hired on Nov. 20 ,1979, exactly 46 years before Lane Kiffin became LSU’s coach. The successor to Rein at NC State was Monte Kiffin, who took the job at Raleigh when his son was five years old.
Lane Kiffin was the preferred candidate from day one for LSU Athletic Director Verge Ausberry. Four years ago, Scott Woodward’s top prospect was not Brian Kelly. It was Lincoln Riley, who opted to migrate from Oklahoma to USC rather than move to LSU.
When Nick Saban was snared from Michigan State in 1999, AD Joe Dean tried to attract Miami’s Butch Davis to Death Valley. Davis bolted for the NFL and the Cleveland Browns a year later and posted a 24-35 record in four seasons. His disastrous decision was a warning Saban did not heed when he defected to the Miami Dolphins after five years in Baton Rouge.
AD Skip Bertman settled for Les Miles, the 51-year-old coach of Oklahoma State. Miles sported a pedestrian 28-21 worksheet in four years at Stillwater. He was not in the same league with Kiffin 21 years later as a coveted target to steer the Tiger ship.
The most successful coach LSU has lured from another school was hired in 1923. A century ago, the LSU coach was Mike Donahue, who had directed Auburn to three national championships. Unlike 1958, Auburn legitimately claimed titles in 1910, 1913 and 1914. Donahue bolted the Plains in 1923 after guiding Auburn to a 99-25-5 record in 15 seasons.
Michael Joseph Donahue was born in County Kerry, Ireland in 1876. He came to Yale as a quarterback and graduated in 1903. Donahue was inducted in the inaugural class of the College Football Hall of Fame in 1951, but he was a disappointment as LSU coach.
The Tigers posted a modest 23-19-3 record in five years under Donahue, and he left his post in 1927, one year before Huey Long’s election as Louisiana governor.
Coaching the Tigers has always been a treacherous profession in terms of long-term viability. But golden parachutes have turned firing squads into retirement planners. Brian Kelly and Ed Orgeron were paid more than $70-million to live the rest of their years in oblivion and in luxury. At LSU, IRA is an acronym for getting rich as “I Run Away.”
Any suggestion of pressure being intense for contemporary LSU football coaches is laughable. Charlie Mac felt pressure when he had one year remaining on a $100,000 dollar contract. Orgeron, Kelly and Kiffin have no pressure. They get their millions no matter what happens on the field.
Eight of the last ten permanent coaches before Kiffin have been fired while three have won national championships. Based on those numbers, there is a 62.5 percent greater chance of being canned than winning it all at LSU. Orgeron was nailed two years after winning the 2019 crown while Miles was axed nine years removed from his 2007 conquest.
Kiffin stands to win many games and receive record compensation, but both he and the LSU brass are restless souls. In the NIL world, it is possible to win everything with an entirely new team. And that is exactly what is expected of LK. If LSU drops it opener to Clemson, Kiffin will have the shortest honeymoon since Jerry Stovall replaced Rein.
Stovall took command in 1980 and faced Bowden and Florida State in his debut at Tiger Stadium, losing 16-0. The gifted writer Dave Kindred witnessed commotion after the game as punks were pounding their fists into the windows of Stovall’s office at Death Valley.
Kindred said one “fan” shouted, “Hey why don’t you put your jockstraps on next game? You buncha pussies.” Stovall rebounded two years later to deliver a historic win at home. A 55-21 thumping of Florida State on a foggy night with oranges cascading from the stands came with a bid to the Orange Bowl and National Coach of the Year honors. Fourteen months later, the LSU hero and Heisman runner-up had a career change. He went to work at a bank.
Considering the peripatetic past of Kiffin, it is likely there is at least one more stop in his nomadic existence. He has not experienced a decade without a move in his 51 years.
Mike Donahue served as head coach at Springhill for one season after leaving LSU. He returned to Baton Rouge where he died in 1960 at 84.
Dietzel also died in Baton Rouge at 88 in 2013. Tall Paul resurfaced after being forced out as athletic director in 1982.
Former USC Coach John Robinson died at 89 in Louisiana’s Capital last year. Three national champion football coaches have expired in TigerTown, but it is doubtful Baton Rouge will adopt a slogan as “The Place Where Champions Come to Die.”
The expectation from this corner is that Kiffin has a 50-50 chance of joining LSU predecessors Dietzel, Saban, Miles, Orgeron and Edgar Wingard (1908) as NCAA champions. It will be fascinating to follow the trajectory of this man of mystery, wealth and fame.
Board member Jerry McKernan called LSU “Twilight Zone in The Bayou” 45 years ago. Not much has changed.
Talk Louisiana with Jim Engster is streamed statewide weekdays from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. and is aired on WRKF Talk 89.3 FM in Baton Rouge as the flagship station. Jim is a graduate of the LSU School of Journalism. Reach him at: jim@louisianaradionetwork.com.
WHAT THEY READ
presented by
Josh Hall
What I’m reading -
Operation Mincemeat
by Ben MacIntyre
A true spy story that changed the course of WWII. A very interesting and intriguing story.
Silvia Olejnikova
What I’m reading -
The Women
by Kristin Hannah
Loved this book about a twenty-year-old nursing student Frances “Frankie” McGrath. But in 1965, the world is changing, and she suddenly dares to imagine a different future for herself. When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she joins the Army Nurse Corps and follows his path.
CONTENTS
Done