LSU Hires Lane Kiffin, Expects Playoff Berth in Year 1

The Tigers have high expectations for their new head coach after missing the College Football Playoff since 2019.

Apr. 17, 2026 at 1:45am

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A fractured, geometric painting depicting a college football game, with sharp planes of color and overlapping perspectives, conveying the high-stakes pressure on the LSU Tigers to return to the playoff under new head coach Lane Kiffin.The high expectations for Lane Kiffin and the LSU Tigers to end their playoff drought are represented through a cubist, deconstructed illustration of a college football game.Baton Rouge Today

The LSU Tigers have hired former Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin to lead their football program, with the expectation that he will end their playoff drought in his first season. The Tigers have won three national championships since 2000 but have not reached the College Football Playoff since 2019, leading to the dismissal of previous head coach Brian Kelly. Kiffin is tasked with raising the program's ceiling and delivering immediate results, as LSU fans will not tolerate another season without a playoff berth.

Why it matters

LSU is one of the most prominent programs in the SEC, and success is measured by competing for championships. The Tigers' recent inconsistency, including three seasons with seven or fewer wins, has led to high expectations for Kiffin to return the program to the playoff level it reached in 2019.

The details

Kiffin arrives in Baton Rouge after a highly successful six-year run at Ole Miss, where he compiled a 55-19 record and led the Rebels to four double-digit win seasons and their first-ever College Football Playoff appearance in 2025. LSU is not just hiring a successful coach; they are hiring someone who has proven he can reach the playoffs at a program with fewer resources than LSU.

  • LSU won a national championship in 2003 and last reached the College Football Playoff in 2019.
  • Brian Kelly went 34-14 in four seasons as LSU's head coach before being dismissed.
  • Lane Kiffin accepted the LSU job in 2026 after leading Ole Miss to the College Football Playoff in 2025.

The players

Lane Kiffin

The new head coach of the LSU Tigers, hired to raise the program's ceiling and deliver immediate playoff success after a successful six-year run at Ole Miss.

Brian Kelly

The former head coach of the LSU Tigers, who was dismissed despite a 34-14 record in four seasons due to the program's failure to reach the College Football Playoff.

Wade Rousse

The president of Louisiana State University, who hired Lane Kiffin to lead the Tigers' football program.

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What they’re saying

“I think it's all very much so fair and above board to think that LSU should be a college football playoff team in 2026.”

— JD PicKell, On3 Analyst

What’s next

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The takeaway

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