The 3 jobs that could be threats to steal Lane Kiffin from the LSU Tigers in the future

Lane Kiffin has only been the head coach of the LSU Tigers for a few days, but some folks are already guessing what the next stop in his career will be. It’s possible that Kiffin could choose to stay at LSU until he retires from college football, but his career path suggests this isn’t his […]

Zach Ragan — Tennessee Volunteers News Writer
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Lane Kiffin has only been the head coach of the LSU Tigers for a few days, but some folks are already guessing what the next stop in his career will be.

It’s possible that Kiffin could choose to stay at LSU until he retires from college football, but his career path suggests this isn’t his final coaching job in football.

Kiffin has never stayed at a program longer than six seasons, which is understandable when you think about it. He grew up moving around quite a bit because his father, legendary defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin, was in the coaching business during his childhood (Lane was born in Nebraska and graduated from high school in Minnesota, for example).

History suggests that Baton Rouge isn’t Kiffin’s final coaching stop — especially since he’s only 50 years old.

But while I think it’s likely that Kiffin will eventually be on the move again, I don’t think he’ll leave LSU for just any job. I think there are only three jobs that could pull Kiffin away from the Tigers.

The 3 jobs that could be threats to steal Lane Kiffin from the LSU Tigers in the future

I don’t think it’s automatic that Kiffin would leave LSU if he’s offered any of the jobs below. In fact, I think he’d only entertain leaving LSU if he first wins a national championship in Baton Rouge (though ultimately, no one knows what Kiffin will or won’t do).

Alabama Crimson Tide: Kiffin began his post-USC image rehab in Tuscaloosa, spending three seasons as Nick Saban’s offensive coordinator at Alabama. LSU is considered by many to be the best job in college football, but the Alabama job is right there, too.

The NFL: I don’t know if there’s a specific team that Kiffin would want to coach in the NFL — a lot of factors, such as quarterback situation and ownership situation, would need to be considered. But I don’t think it’s crazy to think that Kiffin could desire a second shot at the NFL after getting fired by the Raiders in 2008. But again, it would have to be a favorable situation. I don’t think Kiffin would be eager to take over the Jets, for example (though that might change if the Jets draft Arch Manning in 2027…)

Tennessee Vols: Don’t laugh, I think this is something that could be on the table down the road if the UT job is open at some point. This would be a hell of a story considering the way Kiffin left Tennessee in 2010 after just one season to take the USC job. But it could be an interesting prodigal son returns type of scenario.

“I always hated how we only gave one year to Tennessee and left. I really hated the feeling of that — even though it was an exciting year,” said Kiffin to ESPN as he left Oxford for Baton Rouge.

Imagine this scenario: Kiffin leaves LSU for the NFL after winning the national championship in 2028. After two up-and-down seasons in the NFL, Kiffin follows the Saban model and returns to college — specifically by taking the Tennessee job and dominating college football for the next 15 years, a la Saban at Alabama (Kiffin would even be around the same age as when Saban left the Miami Dolphins for Alabama). It would be a full circle moment for Kiffin, who may feel like he has unfinished business in Knoxville.

I’m sure LSU fans will see this and think it’s absurd, but I’m not sure you can say that if you’ve watched Kiffin’s career unfold for the last two decades.

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