A Modern Family: Lane Kiffin And Daughter Shared A Moment On Saturday That Was Building Since Auburn Decision

Two years ago, Lane Kiffin found himself in the middle of a coaching situation that was eating at him to the core. Did he want to uproot his life at Ole Miss to take the same position at Auburn, or was he finally in a spot where he and his family could call home? 

There were certainly times where he pondered if he could have success at Auburn, but those were more thoughts about where things stood at his current school, Ole Miss. If the Rebels were going to take the next step as a program, the schools needed to go all-in on certain plans that could get them over the hump. 

Whether that was NIL, facilities, or just a clear plan for the future, there were obvious questions that needed to be answered. 

But at the core of his decision-making process when deciding on what to do, his family was at the forefront. Would he have thought about their feelings years ago? That's a question that only he can answer. But it was in August 2022 when I had a deep conversation with Lane about where his life was currently at, and where he wanted to go. 

Long gone were the days of putting football over family. Making sure his health was in the right place was also a top priority for the Ole Miss coach. I remember that night sitting on the phone with Lane Kiffin until 2:30 am, discussing where he was currently at with his life, as he glowingly talked about his kids, while also discussing the Sunday night's he spent watching movies with his daughter Landry and her high schools friends. 

"I think we all go through things," Lane Kiffin said at the time. "I’ve been through a lot, I think they’re well-documented, you know divorce, firings. So now being here, daughter moving here, you kinda get out of that world, you get back in it, some things change. I didn’t think I’d be watching a Nicholas Sparks movie on Sunday night, last night with six high school girls there sitting on the couch and a dog. So I guess maybe things have changed."

Whether folks want to believe it or not is up to them. But this wasn't the same Lane Kiffin that had i spoke with just a few years earlier, and it was obvious that he had turned a corner in his life that is well documented. 

But there had been this cloud that hung over his head since arriving in Oxford, always chasing the big moments on the field, and they seemingly found a way to keep their distance. That was until this past Saturday against Georgia. 

Everything Comes Full-Cricle, Kiffin's Daughter Reminded Him Of That

For all the accolades and achievements that Ole Miss has captured during Kiffin's time in Oxford, there was still that ‘Big Game’ mantra that hung over his head from the outside voices. No matter what he did, it was always onto the next challenge of making it known that the Rebels were going to be a problem for opposing teams in the SEC. 

So, after Kiffin spent sixty-minutes coaching his team on Saturday, and watching them dominate Georgia on the field, knowing that his father was looking down on him, it looked like more of a relief than anything. 

But, sometimes the smallest moments are the ones that mean the most, even more than the praise he would receive for coaching his team to such a monumental win. 

It came during the postgame ruckus on the field, as thousands of students were celebrating the win around him. His daughter, Landry, had found her dad near the Ole Miss locker room on the field, rushing into his arms and giving him a hug that he'll never forget. 

"It was a cool moment," Lane Kiffin noted on Monday. "I got really caught up in all the stuff and for her to hug and say ‘Pops would be really proud of you’ was just a special moment. When she was upstairs here, thinking to and thanking her for a couple years ago with the Auburn decision, you know and staying here.

"You know when she had sat there and that decision process and saying that ‘Hey i just got here’ when she came here to live with me and go to Oxford High, and then she was coming to Ole Miss, so ‘don’t leave me now’. So it's just cool how things happen. So, I just thanked here, cause these moments wouldn't have happened. 

Lane Kiffin hugs his daughter Landry after the Ole Miss win over Georgia

We live in a very cynical world, and some things are analyzed to the brink of pure insanity. But at the end of the day, Lane Kiffin chose his family over another job two years ago, and a moment like that with his daughter after a monumental win was a clear validation that he made the right choice. 

Wherever Ole Miss goes from here, I can promise you that Lane Kiffin understands how much his family has played a part in this journey. 

Judging by his social media, and those nights at his house watching movies with a bunch of college students, I doubt he'd trade it for anything in the world.