Why was Lane Kiffin fired from USC? Uncovering the infamous dismissal near an airport terminal

Lane Kiffin is one of the more well-known college football coaches. With coaches always being on the hot seat, there are hardly stories like his. On Sept. 29, 2013, Kiffin was fired as the coach of the USC Trojans on the tarmac of LAX.

The day before, the USC Trojans faced off against the Arizona State Sun Devils, and it was not pretty. After allowing 42 points in the second half, the Sun Devils won 62-41, and fans were not happy with the Trojans. The flight back to the University of Southern California would be the last one for Kiffin as the coach of the program.

On the 10-year anniversary of the incident, ESPN did a story to understand what exactly had happened. Here is Kiffin's take on the incident:

"I don't see [USC athletic director Pat Haden] when I get off [the plane], so I get on the bus. JK McKay stops the bus and grabs me and brings me in. I said to him I was going back to sleep in the office because it's 3 in the morning and I'm getting ready for work the next day... I even said to him, 'OK, what's the use of changin now? Even if you want to fire me, let me just finish with these players and coach the rest of the year.'"

Although at the time it looked like Kiffin may have saved his job for a few more weeks, Pat Haden was firm on his decision. The story of Kiffin getting fired on the tarmac will go down in history as one of the most remembered stories of a coach getting fired. Throughout his tenure from 2010-2013 with the Trojans, Kiffin finished 28-15 (17-12) and was able to get the program through their ineligibility status due to former running back Reggie Bush accepting financial benefits while part of the program.

What is Lane Kiffin doing now?

Kiffin seems to have found a home in college football, as he is now the coach for the Ole Miss Rebels in the Southeastern Conference. As of this writing, he is 27-14 overall (15-12 in SEC action) since taking over as coach before the 2020 season.

He was the offensive coordinator for the Alabama Crimson Tide from 2014-16 and later became the new coach for the Florida Atlantic Owls from 2017-2019.