College football coaching is basically a high-stakes game of musical chairs played with million-dollar contracts. Honestly, it’s wild. One day you’re the hero of Oxford, and the next, you’re packing for Baton Rouge because your boss took a new job.
That is exactly the whirlwind surrounding Kevin Smith Ole Miss fans are currently processing.
If you follow SEC football, you know the name. Kevin Smith isn't just another assistant. He’s the guy who seemingly turns every running back he touches into an NFL prospect or a record-breaker. But as of January 2026, the landscape in Mississippi has shifted. Lane Kiffin is gone to LSU, and Kevin Smith is following him, leaving a massive void in the Rebels' backfield strategy.
It’s a tough pill to swallow for the fans in the Grove.
The Shocking Move to LSU (2026 Update)
Let's get the big news out of the way first. After a historic 2025 season where Ole Miss made its College Football Playoff debut, the coaching staff was raided. Lane Kiffin accepted the head coaching job at LSU on November 30, 2025. For a few weeks, everyone wondered if Kevin Smith would stay behind under new head coach Pete Golding.
He didn't.
In late December 2025, reports confirmed that Kevin Smith Ole Miss running backs coach had finalized a deal to join Kiffin at LSU. It’s a massive move. We are talking about a contract expected to pay him close to $1 million per year. That makes him one of the highest-paid running back coaches in the entire country.
Why the big price tag?
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Basically, Smith is a developer. He doesn't just recruit talent; he polishes it. At Ole Miss, he oversaw a room that helped the team set a program record of 7.3 yards per play in 2024. He was the architect behind the success of guys like Kewan Lacy, who finished the 2025 regular season with 1,366 yards and 21 touchdowns.
Lacy is currently sixth nationally in rushing. That doesn't happen by accident.
Why Kevin Smith Mattered So Much to Ole Miss
To understand why this departure hurts, you have to look at the "Quinshon Judkins effect." Smith was the guy who first spotted Judkins. He famously offered him a scholarship after seeing a video of him from an Alabama trainer, even before watching his full high school tape.
He called Judkins a "rock-body, Mike Tyson type player."
When Smith briefly left for Miami in 2022, the relationship didn't end. Kiffin actually called Smith to bring him back for the 2023 season specifically to keep Judkins happy and productive. It worked. Judkins became one of only two players in SEC history (alongside the legendary Herschel Walker) to post 1,000 yards and 15 touchdowns in both their freshman and sophomore seasons.
Smith’s resume at Ole Miss is essentially a list of "who's who" in the SEC backfield:
- Jerrion Ealy: An All-SEC talent under Smith's watch.
- Snoop Conner: A physical bruiser who thrived in Smith’s system.
- Henry Parrish Jr.: A guy who flourished, left for Miami, and then came back to Oxford because he trusted Smith.
- Kewan Lacy: The latest superstar who might just follow Smith into the transfer portal.
The "Strangest Staff Swap" in History
This whole situation is kinda bizarre. While Smith is officially an LSU coach now, he actually stayed to coach the Rebels through their 2025-26 playoff run. Imagine that. You’ve signed a contract with a division rival, but you’re still wearing the powder blue on the sidelines against Georgia in the Sugar Bowl.
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It’s awkward. But that's modern college football.
Ole Miss didn't sit on their hands, though. Pete Golding made a counter-move that has people talking. He hired Frank Wilson away from LSU to replace Smith. Wilson is widely considered one of the best recruiters in the history of the sport.
So, in a weird way, Ole Miss and LSU just traded their legendary running back coaches.
The Playing Legacy: Before He Was a Coach
Younger fans might not realize that Kevin Smith Ole Miss coach was actually Kevin Smith the NCAA Legend. Before he was wearing a headset, he was shattering records at UCF.
In 2007, he had one of the greatest individual seasons in the history of college football. He carried the ball 450 times. Yes, 450. That’s an absurd workload. He finished that year with 2,567 rushing yards, falling just 62 yards short of Barry Sanders' all-time single-season record.
He was a consensus All-American and finished 8th in the Heisman voting.
He played five years in the NFL with the Detroit Lions. He was good—rushing for nearly 1,000 yards as a rookie—but injuries eventually took their toll. That's why he’s so effective as a coach. He’s been in the trenches. He knows what a 30-carry game feels like on a Sunday morning. When he tells a player how to read a hole or protect their body, they listen.
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What’s Next for the Rebels?
The era of Kevin Smith at Ole Miss is officially over. It was a run defined by explosive offenses and elite rushing attacks. Under his guidance, Ole Miss led the SEC in rushing in 2020 and consistently ranked near the top of the nation in ground production.
The big question now is the roster.
With Smith at LSU, will the current Rebels stay? Kewan Lacy is the big name to watch. In the age of the Transfer Portal, players often follow the coaches who recruited them. If Lacy heads to Baton Rouge, the "Kevin Smith Ole Miss" legacy will have one final, painful sting for the fans in Oxford.
However, Pete Golding’s elevation to head coach provides some stability. Golding is a defensive mastermind, and bringing in Frank Wilson suggests Ole Miss isn't planning on slowing down.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Analysts
If you are tracking the fallout of this coaching change, keep an eye on these specific markers:
- The Transfer Portal Window: Watch for "Entry" notifications from Ole Miss running backs in the next 30 days. This will tell you exactly how much loyalty was tied to Smith personally.
- LSU’s 2027 Recruiting Class: Kevin Smith is a Miami native with deep ties to Florida high schools. Expect LSU to start winning more battles in the Sunshine State.
- Frank Wilson’s First Commit: The moment Wilson lands a four-star back for Ole Miss, the "Smith era" will officially be in the rearview mirror.
The departure of Kevin Smith marks the end of a specific, high-flying chapter of Rebels football. He brought a pro-style discipline to a fast-paced Kiffin offense, and the results were undeniable. Now, the battle moves to the recruiting trail and the SEC West standings.
Check the latest transfer portal rankings to see if any Ole Miss starters are following Smith to LSU this week.