November 30, 2025. That was the date Lane Kiffin decided he was moving on to LSU after six seasons at Ole Miss. It came just two days after Ole Miss’ win over Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl. So, one can imagine the kind of spiral it sent the college football world into. Loyalty was questioned at every level, something Brian Kelly has experienced during his coaching career as well. And now, both coaches have new labels attached to them.

Nicholas Rome of Saturday Blitz included Kelly and Kiffin both on his list of the 10 least trustworthy coaches in college football. And the reason behind it, you may ask? Well, let’s see.

“Brian Kelly has a solid career record, but it’s hard to imagine he’ll get another head coaching gig in the future,” Rome wrote. “The departure from Cincinnati rubbed many the wrong way, as did quitting on Notre Dame to take the LSU job, where Kelly flopped despite having high expectations.”

Brian Kelly’s reputation took a major hit after LSU pushed him out during the 2025 season. And even though many college football teams needed new coaches afterward, very few schools were seriously connected to his name for open jobs. That showed many programs were unsure about trusting him as a leader anymore. It’s not like Kelly hasn’t shown he can win, but his pattern of behavior had people in two minds.

He accepted the LSU job very quickly and left Notre Dame right before an important bowl game. Then, his moves from Grand Valley State to Central Michigan, Cincinnati, Notre Dame, and eventually LSU gave many the impression that he wasn’t loyal to just one program.

At the same time, coaching changes are often made for career growth, though that reasoning clearly did not sit well with everyone in Kelly’s case. Now, top that with a four-year championship drought at LSU, despite having major backing from the team, and questions about his ability were inevitable.

Next on the list is Lane Kiffin, who moved from Tennessee, USC, Alabama, Ole Miss, and now he is at LSU. Entering the coaching space back in 1997, Kiffin’s coaching career has been nothing less than controversial. His sudden move from Tennessee after just one season didn’t just hurt the team, but also the entire fan base that trusted him to bring future success. But he did it because joining USC was his “dream job.”

Then, after an inconsistent run, he was fired from USC and went to FAU, but his career’s turning point came when he joined Ole Miss. He made a solid transfer portal class, brought hidden gems like Trinidad Chambliss to the team, took them to the playoffs, but despite all that, he chose LSU in the middle of the Rebels’ playoff run. That made fans furious because a coach leaving his team just before the playoffs is nothing more than a betrayal.

He tried to stay and coach the program, but it was too late for him, and Ole Miss gave Pete Golding the chance to help the team. So, such sudden instances have landed both of them on this list. And now that Kiffin is in Baton Rouge, if he fails to produce results much like Kelly, things run the risk of turning ugly for him, too.

Lane Kiffin’s real test is the upcoming season

Lane Kiffin came to LSU with a lot of hope. The team trusted him to do something that Brian Kelly couldn’t do, and that’s taking them on a deep championship run. 2019 was the last time the team got into the championship race against Clemson and lost. Now, why Kiffin all of a sudden? That’s because of what he did at Ole Miss. He pulled the program from being an SEC bottom-feeder to winning 55 games and posting an 11-1 record in 2025.

Now with the Tigers, Kiffin boasts a $91 million deal that pays him roughly $12–14 million per year through 2032. And when a team invests that kind of money, it expects results. So far, he is delivering. Kiffin built the No. 1 transfer class for the 2026 season and also helped LSU secure the No. 12 recruiting class for 2026. The offense looks solid, especially with several Ole Miss staff members joining him. The quarterback room is also filled with talented players like Sam Leavitt.

After all this, if he misses the playoffs this season, things might get tough for him. He might not be in the hot seat immediately, but concerns will be there. Additionally, the upcoming season has laid out matchups against teams like Ole Miss, Clemson, Tennessee, and Auburn that could give them a hard time. Then, the games against Alabama and Texas might decide their playoff fate.

So, all in all, it’s a tough test for the 51-year-old, but if he crosses it, he will prove that there’s a reason why he moves so often from school to school.