Lane Kiffin has never been one to shy away from the spotlight, but lately, the new LSU head coach is using his platform for something a little different: calling for calm in the middle of a growing online firestorm between LSU and Ole Miss fans.
On Thursday morning, Kiffin took to X (formerly Twitter) with a message that cut through the noise. “It’s a sport, guys,” he wrote.
“Stop attacking each other personally and each other's families. Move on, and both sides just enjoy what they have.
Make a grateful list of what you have this morning and focus on that, and not what you don’t have.”
It’s a rare moment of perspective in a rivalry that’s only gotten hotter since Kiffin made the high-profile jump from Ole Miss to LSU. The move was always going to ruffle feathers, but the online back-and-forth between the two passionate fanbases has escalated well beyond typical SEC trash talk. And Kiffin, now wearing purple and gold, is trying to pump the brakes before things get too personal.
This isn’t the first time he’s tried to play peacemaker. Back on December 20, as Ole Miss was gearing up for its College Football Playoff matchup against Tulane, the tension wasn’t just between fans-it had made its way into the political arena. Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves and Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry were trading barbs on social media, turning a football rivalry into a digital shouting match.
Kiffin, ever aware of the temperature around him, responded with a bit of humor and a plea for unity: “It’s not the Hunger Games, guys,” he posted. “Let’s cheer for each other all year long, except when we play each other.”
That’s classic Kiffin-blunt, a little tongue-in-cheek, but ultimately grounded in a message that resonates. He knows the passion in the SEC runs deep.
He’s lived it at Tennessee, USC, Ole Miss, and now LSU. But he’s also seen how quickly that passion can boil over, especially in the age of social media, where every tweet can turn into a battleground.
For LSU and Ole Miss fans, this rivalry is personal. It’s about pride, tradition, and bragging rights.
But Kiffin’s message is a reminder that, at the end of the day, it’s still just football. And while the games are meant to be intense, the discourse around them doesn’t have to turn toxic.
As the 2026 season inches closer, Kiffin will have plenty of chances to let his coaching do the talking. But for now, he’s stepping into a different kind of leadership role-one that asks fans to take a breath, enjoy the ride, and remember why they fell in love with the game in the first place.