Lane Kiffin's Name Surfacing In LSU Coaching Search Rumors

As will be the case as long as he continues to be successful in Oxford, Lane Kiffin's name is once again at the forefront of coaching search rumors

Lane Kiffin might be the best football coach that Ole Miss has had on Campus in this century, and it's beginning to show. 

Following the announcement that Ed Orgeron and the LSU Tigers had mutually agreed to part ways on Sunday, it was always natural to assume that Kiffin's name would at least be mentioned amongst the candidates for such a high-profile job. 

And per multiple reports, that appears to be exactly the case.

After all, Kiffin has turned the Ole Miss program from a universal laughing stock, into a nationally relevant program in less than 24 months at the helm. 

He has also produced what could be the Heisman front runner in Matt Corral, just two years after the star nearly left the program after being benched in favor of John Rhys Plumlee.

Before Kiffin's arrival, Ole Miss was in shambles, coming off of an NCAA investigation under Hugh Freeze, and three less-than-stellar years from Matt Luke.

The Rebels were 15-21 under Luke, and squandered offensive talents such as DK Metcalf, AJ Brown, Jordan Ta'amu, Greg Little, Dawson Knox, and Scottie Phillips, and failed to make a single bowl appearance in his tenure. 

Then, with the arrival of Kiffin and new athletic director Keith Carter, things began to change for the better expeditiously.

Fast forward to 2021, and Kiffin has the Rebels 5-1 and ranked as the No. 12 team in the country.

From the opposite end of the spectrum, LSU has been on a sharp downward trajectory under Orgeron following their national title win in 2019.

Since defeating Clemson for the national championship run, the Tigers finished 2020 with a 5-5 record and missing the postseason for the first time since the 1999 season, while Orgeron has led the Tigers to a 9-8 record. 

Six of those eight losses have come to ranked teams, with the other two coming to SEC West opponents Auburn and Mississippi State.

So given his ability to turn Ole Miss around in such a short time, it would only make sense for the Tigers to eye Kiffin in hopes he could achieve the same goal.

Whether or not Kiffin is eyeing the Tigers as a potential destination or not, however, is another discussion entirely.

Either way, Kiffin isn't planning on letting it become a distraction for his team. 

“I don’t think I’ve ever addressed (potential candidacies) with my team,” he said. “Our team knows how to focus and take it one day at a time. You don’t worry about things you can’t control. In recruiting, there can be a battle over that. Every coach battles that, I’ve been dealing with that ever since I left Tennessee. It is what it is. We’ll just work our way through it.”

---

Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Rebels? Click Here.

Follow The Grove Report On Facebook and Twitter.