Career Timeline of Lane Kiffin: Major Achievements and Milestones

How Lane Kiffin built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.

Lane Kiffin is an American football coach, currently the head coach at Ole Miss. He gained prominence through assistant coaching roles at USC before becoming the head coach of the Oakland Raiders and later head coach at the University of Tennessee, and USC again. Kiffin's career has been marked by both successes and controversies, solidifying his reputation as a notable figure in college and professional football.

Sections (5)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

1999: Graduate Assistant at Colorado State

In 1999, Lane Kiffin worked as a graduate assistant for one year at Colorado State University and secured a job with the Jacksonville Jaguars of the NFL as a quality control assistant.

2001: Joins USC Staff

During the 2001 season, Lane Kiffin began working with the University of Southern California (USC) staff.

2001: Assistant Coach at USC

In 2001, Lane Kiffin began his tenure as an assistant coach at the University of Southern California.

2002: Wide Receivers Coach

Prior to the 2002 season, Lane Kiffin became the wide receivers coach at USC.

2004: Passing Game Coordinator

For the 2004 season, Lane Kiffin added the duties of passing game coordinator at USC.

2005: Offensive Coordinator

In 2005, Lane Kiffin was promoted to offensive coordinator at USC, also taking on the role of recruiting coordinator.

2005: USC Offense Achieves Milestone

In the 2005 season, USC had two thousand-yard receivers, a thousand-yard rusher, and a 3,000-yard passer, the first time this had happened since Lane Kiffin was the offensive coordinator.

2006: End of USC Assistant Coaching

In 2006, Lane Kiffin concluded his time as an assistant coach at the University of Southern California.

2006: Trojans finish first in Pac-10

In 2006, Lane Kiffin's Trojans finished first in the Pac-10 in passing efficiency, averaging a 142.8 passer rating, produced two, 1,000-yard receivers – Dwayne Jarrett and Steve Smith – and a 3,000-yard passer John David Booty, with 3,347 yards.

January 23, 2007: Hired by Oakland Raiders

On January 23, 2007, Lane Kiffin was hired by the Oakland Raiders as their head coach, becoming the youngest head coach in Raiders history at 31 years old.

August 12, 2007: NFL Head Coaching Debut

On August 12, 2007, in his NFL head coaching debut, Lane Kiffin and the Raiders won their preseason opener 27–23 over the Arizona Cardinals.

September 23, 2007: First Regular Season Win

On September 23, 2007, Lane Kiffin recorded his first regular season win as an NFL head coach when the Raiders defeated the Cleveland Browns by a score of 26–24.

2007: Head Coach of the Oakland Raiders

In 2007, Lane Kiffin became the head coach of the Oakland Raiders in the National Football League.

September 30, 2008: Kiffin Fired by Raiders

On September 30, 2008, Lane Kiffin was fired by Al Davis over the telephone, who called Kiffin a "flat-out liar".

November 28, 2008: Reports of Kiffin to Tennessee

On November 28, 2008, media outlets reported that Lane Kiffin would be the next head football coach for the University of Tennessee Volunteers.

November 30, 2008: Signs Deal with Tennessee

On November 30, 2008, Lane Kiffin signed a memorandum of understanding with the University of Tennessee including performance bonuses and salary increases over a six-year deal.

December 1, 2008: Introduction as Tennessee Head Coach

On December 1, 2008, Lane Kiffin was formally introduced as the 21st head football coach at the University of Tennessee.

2008: Plans for Offseason Changes

At his end-of-the-season press conference in 2008, Lane Kiffin told the media and his players that he had many plans and changes he was going to make in the 2008 offseason.

2008: Improvement From 2008 Season

In 2009, Lane Kiffin led the Tennessee Volunteers to a 7–6 record, an improvement from their 5–7 record in 2008.

2008: Continued as Raiders Head Coach

Lane Kiffin continued as head coach of the Oakland Raiders during 2008.

February 4, 2009: Tom Cable Named Head Coach

On February 4, 2009, Tom Cable, who had been serving as interim head coach, was made the permanent head coach of the Raiders, replacing Kiffin.

2009: Head Coach at Tennessee

In 2009, Lane Kiffin became the head coach at the University of Tennessee.

2009: Salary in 2009

In 2009, Lane Kiffin's deal with Tennessee included $2 million in salary.

2009: Contract Option

On January 23, 2007, Raiders signed Kiffin to a two-year contract worth about $4 million with a team option for 2009.

January 12, 2010: Returns to USC as Head Coach

On January 12, 2010, Lane Kiffin returned to USC to become the Trojans' head coach after Pete Carroll's departure.

2010: Leaves Tennessee for USC

During the 2010 recruiting season, Lane Kiffin left the Volunteers after one season as coach to accept the head coaching job at the University of Southern California.

2010: Buyout Clause

If Kiffin had been fired in 2010, the school would have to pay him $7.5 million under a buyout clause.

2010: Head Coach at USC

In 2010, Lane Kiffin became the head coach at the University of Southern California, marking a return to the program.

2010: Kiffin's First Season at USC

In 2010, during Lane Kiffin's first season at USC, the Trojans finished with an 8–5 record. However, they were ineligible for post-season play due to NCAA sanctions. Several players transferred due to an NCAA exception, and USC played with a reduced number of scholarship players.

2012: Buyout Clause Decreases

After the 2012 season, the buyout clause in Kiffin's contract decreased to $5 million.

September 28, 2013: Kiffin Fired as USC Head Coach

On September 28, 2013, Lane Kiffin was fired as the head coach of USC after a 62–41 loss to Arizona State. He was dismissed by Athletics Director Pat Haden at Los Angeles International Airport. Assistant coach Ed Orgeron took over as interim head coach.

2013: End of USC Head Coaching

In 2013, Lane Kiffin's tenure as the head coach at USC concluded.

January 9, 2014: Kiffin Interviews for Alabama Offensive Coordinator Job

On January 9, 2014, Lane Kiffin interviewed for the vacant offensive coordinator job at Alabama after Michigan hired Doug Nussmeier.

2014: Salary Set to Increase

In 2014, Kiffin's salary under the terms of the original 2008 deal was scheduled to reach a high of $2.75 million.

2014: Offensive Coordinator at Alabama

In 2014, Lane Kiffin became the offensive coordinator at the University of Alabama.

December 12, 2016: Kiffin Accepts Head Coaching Position at Florida Atlantic University

On December 12, 2016, Lane Kiffin accepted the head coaching position at Florida Atlantic University (FAU).

2016: Hired by Florida Atlantic

In 2016, Lane Kiffin was hired to be the head coach at Florida Atlantic University.

January 2, 2017: Kiffin Relieved of Duties as Alabama Offensive Coordinator

On January 2, 2017, Lane Kiffin was relieved of his duties as Alabama Offensive Coordinator, three weeks after accepting the head coaching job at Florida Atlantic. He was replaced by Steve Sarkisian.

December 19, 2017: FAU Wins Boca Raton Bowl

On December 19, 2017, Kiffin led the FAU Owls to a 50–3 victory over Akron in the Boca Raton Bowl, culminating in an 11–3 season in his first year.

December 6, 2019: Kiffin Reported Close to Accepting Ole Miss Head Coaching Position

On December 6, 2019, reports indicated that Lane Kiffin was close to accepting the head coaching position at Ole Miss.

December 2019: Head Coach at Ole Miss

In December 2019, Lane Kiffin became the head coach at Ole Miss, concluding his tenure at Florida Atlantic.

2019: Kiffin Leads FAU to Second C-USA Championship

In 2019, Lane Kiffin once again led FAU to a 10-win season and a second C-USA championship.

2020: Kiffin Wins First Game at Ole Miss

In 2020, Lane Kiffin won his first game at Ole Miss against Kentucky, with the team finishing the season 5-5 and receiving an invitation to the 2021 Outback Bowl.

August 2021: Kiffin's New Contract Details Released by Ole Miss

New contract details were released in August 2021, showing Lane Kiffin would receive $21 million in base pay through 2024, with $4.5 million paid out in 2021 and over $5 million in each of the remaining three seasons.

2021: Ole Miss Becomes First 100% Vaccinated NCAA Football Team

Prior to the 2021 season, Lane Kiffin led Ole Miss to become the first NCAA football team 100% vaccinated against COVID-19. Kiffin himself tested positive for COVID-19 before the opener. The Rebels finished the 2021 regular season 10–2.

2023: Rebels Finish 11-2 with Peach Bowl Victory

In 2023, the Rebels rebounded strongly to finish 11-2 with a victory in the Peach Bowl, marking the first 11-win season in school history.

2024: Kiffin's Contract Through 2024

In August 2021 new contract details were released that showed Lane Kiffin would receive $21 million in base pay through 2024.

2024: Rebels Finish 10-3 with Gator Bowl Victory

In the 2024 season, Lane Kiffin led the Rebels to a 9–3 regular season record, highlighted by an upset victory over #2 Georgia. The Rebels defeated Duke 52–20 in the Gator Bowl and finished the season 10–3.