Lane Kiffin isn’t exactly tiptoeing around his former program these days. Since taking over at LSU, the former Ole Miss head coach has been making moves that feel more like calculated chess plays than routine staffing decisions-and his latest social media activity only adds fuel to the fire.
Kiffin recently reshared an Instagram story reporting that LSU is expected to hire Kevin Smith, the current running backs coach at Ole Miss. On the surface, it looks like a routine coaching transition.
But the timing and context suggest there’s more at play. Smith is reportedly set to join Kiffin’s staff in Baton Rouge in the same role he held in Oxford, and he's already been spotted visiting with Kiffin on campus.
For Ole Miss fans, it’s a move that hits close to home-especially considering the broader tug-of-war happening between the two programs.
Since Kiffin’s departure, LSU has been keeping a close eye on the Ole Miss coaching staff, and this isn't the first time they’ve dipped into Oxford’s talent pool. The Kevin Smith move feels like a continuation of that trend, and it’s creating tension on both sides of the SEC divide.
Meanwhile, Pete Golding, who took over as Ole Miss’s defensive coordinator following Kiffin’s exit, is doing everything he can to steady the ship. Golding was brought in with one clear mandate: restore stability to a program that’s been swirling in drama. But that’s proving to be a tall order, especially with Kiffin and LSU looming like a storm cloud on the horizon.
It’s not just a one-way street, though. Ole Miss has been pushing back.
According to recent reports, the Rebels have their eyes on one of LSU’s most respected figures-interim head coach Frank Wilson. Wilson, a veteran coach and one of the most influential recruiters in the SEC, has been a foundational piece at LSU since 2022.
If Ole Miss manages to pull him away, it would be a major shakeup in Baton Rouge.
This back-and-forth between Kiffin and Golding isn’t just about staffing-it’s about control, identity, and momentum heading into the next chapter of SEC football. Both programs are trying to build something sustainable, and both are doing it by targeting the same high-level coaching talent.
For LSU, adding Kevin Smith gives Kiffin a familiar face and a trusted assistant as he reshapes the Tigers’ offensive identity. For Ole Miss, holding onto key figures-or poaching a high-profile name like Wilson-could be the difference between a smooth transition and another season of uncertainty.
One thing’s clear: the rivalry between these two programs didn’t end when Kiffin left Oxford. If anything, it’s just getting started.