Lane Kiffin’s abrupt departure for Baton Rouge has warranted an icy farewell from the Ole Miss faithful — and now one of his former players is getting in on the action.
Ole Miss defensive tackle Jon Seaton trolled his former coach on social media, mocking Kiffin’s polarizing decision to jump ship for SEC-rival LSU right before the No. 6-ranked Rebels’ postseason push.
In a sarcastic reenactment posted to TikTok on Monday, Seaton, portraying Kiffin, congratulated his team on the “best season we’ve ever had” — which concluded with an 11–1 regular-season record, the program’s best since 1962.
Lane Kiffin was introduced as LSU’s new head coach after an ugly exit from Ole Miss. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Then his phone rang. It was LSU.
“I mean, you understand, right?” Seaton joked, asking for his players’ approval before walking away and dropping his team-branded visor on the turf.
Kiffin, who had helmed the Rebels since 2020, announced his decision Sunday in a lengthy statement delivered on social media following weeks of speculation — and a few additional prayer sessions — regarding his future.
“After a lot of prayer and time spent with family, I made the difficult decision to accept the head coaching position at LSU,” Kiffin posted to X.
The 50-year-old skipper explained that he wanted to coach the Rebels through the College Football Playoff, but alleged he was barred from doing so by Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter.
Kiffin was adamant that his decision had nothing to do with money, even saying, “I don’t know what my contract is here.” Still, his seven-year, $91 million deal — the second-most lucrative coaching agreement in college football — argues the negative.
Lane Kiffin said he wished to coach Ole Miss through the playoffs, but athletic director Keith Carter shut down the idea. Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
Seaton, a redshirt senior who transferred from Elon University, poked fun at the coach’s seemingly hypocritical move, a controversial decision that prompted an encore of boos and one-finger salutes from fans as he boarded his plane bound for Baton Rouge.
Ahead of the CFP Selection Show on Dec. 7, Ole Miss elevated defensive coordinator Pete Golding as the program’s next head coach.