Chris Kiffin, the younger brother of LSU head coach Lane Kiffin and son of coaching legend Monte Kiffin, joined the Tigers in December of 2025 and serves as co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach.
Kiffin, who has an extensive NFL background, comes to LSU after two seasons as an analyst for the best two-year stretch in Ole Miss history. Ole Miss went a combined 23-5 over the past two seasons, which included a 13-2 mark and reaching the semifinals of the College Football Playoffs in 2025.
Prior to re-joining the Ole Miss staff in 2024, Kiffin spent six years in the NFL coaching with the 49ers (2018-19), the Browns (2020-22) and the Texans (2023). Kiffin originally joined the Rebel staff in 2012, spending five years (2012-16) with the Rebels as defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator.
During his first stint at Ole Miss, Kiffin helped produce some of the nation’s top defenses, while also bringing nationally recognized signing classes to the program, including the nation’s No. 4 rated class in 2016.
The 2013 National Recruiter of the Year by Scout.com, Kiffin helped the Rebels land a Top-5 class in 2013 and three other signing classes that were ranked among the Top 15 in the nation. He was tabbed one of the nation’s Top 50 recruiters by 247Sports.com during that stretch.
On the field, Kiffin’s 2015 defensive line was among the best in the nation, which helped the Rebel defensive rank among the top 3 in the SEC in tackles for loss (8.1/game; No. 7 in FBS), interceptions (15; T-No. 23 in FBS) and takeaways (23).
Kiffin helped develop Robert Nkemdiche into a second-team All-America and first-team All-SEC selection as a junior in 2015. With Nkemdiche leading the way, the Ole Miss defensive front combined for 24 sacks, which included a school-record tying 10 from Marquis Haynes. In two years under Kiffin, Haynes tallied 17.5 sacks.
Nkemdiche was later taken in the first round (No. 29 overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals.
In 2014, Kiffin helped develop one of the deepest and most talented defensive lines in college football, as the Rebels led the nation in scoring defense (16.0) and fewest touchdowns allowed (24), while also leading the SEC in interceptions (22), turnovers forced (32), tackles for loss (7.6/game) and opponent third-down conversion (33.0 percent).
With Kiffin guiding him, Nkemdiche made a major impact on the defensive line in 2013 by ranking third on the team in tackles for loss (8.0) and second among SEC freshmen in tackles for loss per game (0.73). Nkemdiche was named first-team Freshman All-America and Freshman All-SEC.
In his first season with the Rebels in 2012, Ole Miss ranked first in the SEC and fourth nationally in tackles for loss (7.9/game) and second in the SEC and No. 11 nationally in sacks (2.9/game). Those numbers were dramatic improvements over 4.75 TFLs and 1.08 sacks per game in 2011.
Kiffin spent the 2011 as Arkansas State’s defensive line coach helping the Red Wolves post a 10-3 mark and capture the Sun Belt Conference title with a perfect 8-0 league mark. The 10-win season was the first for the program since 1975 and marked only the second time in school history Arkansas State won at least 10 games. The Red Wolves capped the year with only the second bowl appearance (GoDaddy.com Bowl) in program history and the first since 2005.
He helped coach an ASU defense that led the Sun Belt Conference in total defense (331.5) and scoring defense (20.8), ranking in the top 25 in the NCAA in both categories. Arkansas State also led the league and ranked No. 8 in the nation in tackles for loss (7.6) and tied for No. 15 in the nation in QB sacks (2.7) per game.
Kiffin joined the Arkansas State coaching staff after serving as an administrative assistant for the USC defense in 2010. The Trojans finished the year 8-5 with a 28-14 victory over UCLA in Rose Bowl stadium.
Prior to joining the staff at USC, Kiffin was in charge of offensive quality control at Nebraska from Feb. 2008 through Feb. 2010. During his two seasons at Nebraska, the Cornhuskers compiled a 20-8 record and played in two bowl games, including a 33-0 victory over Arizona in the 2009 Holiday Bowl.
Before Nebraska, Kiffin was a quality control intern with the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2006. During his time with the Bucs, Kiffin gained experience working with the defensive line during off-season OTAs and mini-camps.
A four-year football letterman as a defensive tackle at Colorado State from 2000-05 under then-head coach Sonny Lubick, Kiffin earned his bachelor’s degree from the school in 2005. Following his time at Colorado State, he got his start in coaching at Idaho in 2005 where he served as a student assistant for two seasons.
Kiffin and his wife Angela have four children – Bella, Grace, Taylor and Christian “Cookie”.
Chris Kiffin File
Year at LSU (in 2026-27): First
Birthdate: January 19, 1982
Hometown: Raleigh, N.C.
College: Colorado State, 2005
Wife: Angela
Children: Bella, Grace, Taylor, Christian “Cookie”
Coaching Experience
2005-06 Idaho (student assistant)
2006 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Quality Control Intern)
2007 Ole Miss (Graduate Assistant)
2008-09 Nebraska (Quality Control – Defense)
2010 Southern Cal (Administrative Assistant – Defense)
2011 Arkansas State (Defensive Line)
2012-16 Ole Miss (Defensive Line, Recruiting Coordinator)
2017 Florida Atlantic (Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers)
2018-19 San Francisco 49ers (Pass Rush Specialist)
2020-22 Cleveland Browns (Defensive Line)
2023 Houston Texans (Linebackers)
2024-25 Ole Miss (Defensive Analyst)
2026 LSU (Co-Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers)