Is there any doubt LSU head coach Lane Kiffin is the most polarizing coach in college football?
FOX Sports college football analyst Matt Leinart doesn’t think so, and he’s taking that a step further.
“He’s the most polarizing coach, I think, in the history of college football,” Leinart said about Kiffin on Saturday’s “Big Noon Kickoff.” “He loves trolling. He loves playing the villain.”
No. 7 LSU faces off against No. 8-ranked Ole Miss on Saturday night in Kiffin’s first game against the Rebels since leaving them prior to the 2025 College Football Playoff to take the Tigers’ head-coaching position.
“This one just feels a little different for me, today,” Leinart said. “It’s going to be tough for LSU to go on the road today.”
Both teams are off to a 2-0 start this season, with LSU blowing out Clemson in Week 1 (51-10) and Louisiana Tech in Week 2 (45-14). Meanwhile, Ole Miss squeaked out a win over the now-No. 23-ranked Louisville Cardinals in Week 1 (41-38) and handled Charlotte in Week 2 (41-9).
Aside from bringing multiple coaches with him from Ole Miss to LSU, including offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr., Kiffin tried to get former Rebels tight end Dae’Quan Wright and defensive tackle Zxavian Harris — who were each in NFL training camps this summer — to join him in Baton Rouge this summer after a Louisiana judge granted a fifth year of eligibility for 40-plus players who graduated from high school in 2022.
The SEC then barred any players who appeared on a pro roster at any point from playing for a team in the conference. Following a contested, back-and-forth on the matter with the SEC, Kiffin backed down, refraining from adding Wright and Harris to LSU’s roster.
Big Noon Kickoff predicts the winner of No. 7 LSU vs No. 8 Ole Miss in Lane Kiffin’s return.
Over Kiffin’s six years in Oxford (2022-25), the Rebels went a combined 55-19, putting together four double-digit-winning seasons. LSU is Kiffin’s fifth collegiate head-coaching job, with him coaching Tennessee for one year in 2009 before leaving to become the coach at USC. Kiffin was the Trojans’ head coach for three-plus years before being fired during the 2013 season.
Following a three-year stint as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Alabama under Nick Saban (2014-16), Kiffin served as the head coach at FAU for three years (2017-19) before being named the Rebels’ head coach ahead of the 2020 season.
Kiffin boasts a career 118-53 record as a collegiate head coach. He also coached the Oakland Raiders from 2007-08, posting a 5-15 record.
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