Lane Kiffin says he hopes there will soon be ‘appreciation’ for what he accomplished at Ole Miss
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Lane Kiffin gave an exclusive interview to ESPN’s Marty Smith on Sunday just before he boarded a plane to Baton Rouge.
Kiffin spoke with Smith about his decision to leave Ole Miss for LSU. He acknowledged that emotions are currently running high, but said he hopes distance from his departure will create an “appreciation” for what the program has accomplished during his tenure.
“It was really difficult. This has been a really special place. Six years here. I know there’s a lot of feelings and emotions right now,” Kiffin said. “I hope when they settle down, there’s an appreciation about what we were able to do here. Having the best run that’s ever been done in the history of this school. We brought some exciting times. I’m so appreciative to the people of Oxford and the relationships that I developed here.”
Ole Miss just wrapped up its best-ever regular season with an 11-1 record. Kiffin also led the program to double-digit win seasons in 2021, 2023 and 2024.
The early indications suggest Kiffin may not get the forgiveness and admiration he’s seeking from the Ole Miss faithful. Numerous fans were at the airport on Sunday to see Kiffin off and had plenty of expletives and other gestures for him as he departed.
Lane Kiffin and LSU will head to Oxford in 2026 for an SEC contest. The date for that game has not yet been announced.
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
