Ringer Tailgate: The Coaching Carousel — Lane Leaves for LSU, and What’s Penn St. Up To?
Date: December 3, 2025
Hosts: Van Lathan, Joel Anderson, Tate Frazier ("Joe House")
Theme: The seismic movement in the college football coaching ranks, the impact of Lane Kiffin’s controversial departure to LSU, Penn State's tumult, the role of power agents, and reflections on culture and loyalty in college football.
Episode Overview
This episode dives deep into the chaotic world of college football’s coaching carousel, focusing on Lane Kiffin’s headline-grabbing jump from Ole Miss to LSU. The panel unpacks what this means for both programs, the shifting culture of college football loyalty, and the ripple effects around the country—especially at Penn State. Along the way, the crew delivers their trademark sharp analysis and irreverent banter, while exploring the outsized influence of agent Jimmy Sexton on the sport.
Key Segments & Timestamps
| Segment | Timestamp | |------------------------------------------------|------------------| | Cold Open, Lane Kiffin to LSU: Initial Reactions | [03:00-10:15] | | The Nature of Coaching Loyalty & Culture | [04:15-13:00] | | Comparing Lane Kiffin and Brian Kelly at LSU | [10:15-18:20] | | Expectations vs. Reality: The Coach-Fan Relationship | [18:20-22:30] | | Main Character Energy: Lane as CFB’s Drama Magnet | [22:30-26:35] | | Coaching Carousel: Reactions Beyond LSU | [29:07-32:48] | | The Jimmy Sexton Segment: Agents' Power Over CFB | [44:00-62:13] | | Conference Titles & Playoff Chaos | [73:57-80:25] | | Big Van On Campus: Lessons for Ole Miss & Cautionary Tales | [86:34-92:01] | | Extended Banter/Banter & Stories, Show Close | [92:01-104:36] |
Detailed Summary
Lane Kiffin Leaves Ole Miss for LSU: A Cold Game ([03:00–10:15])
Van Lathan opens with personal pride in “recognizing a problem and doing the root work” to bring Lane Kiffin to LSU. He calls the coaching carousel both what’s great and what’s “cold” about college football:
- “This is a cold game...everybody do a little soul-searching right now…how much does [your coach] really love your school?” —Van, [04:15]
- The group jokes about Lane's reputation for leaving jobs—“You don’t marry a lady like Lane Kiffin...always looking for something better.” —Van, [06:23]
- Joe House highlights how Lane Kiffin’s departure stings Ole Miss fans amidst a historic season.
Memorable Moment:
Van Lathan uses a Jay-Z lyric to sum up the modern relationship between fans and itinerant coaches:
“Our time together is our time together. Our time apart is our time apart. So love Lane with your mind, not your heart. Or you might get left at the airport.” —Van, [07:13]
Loyalty, Culture, and the Changing Coaching Landscape ([04:15–13:00])
- Van underscores that coaches like Woody Hayes or Joe Paterno—lifers deeply enmeshed with their schools—are gone:
“Those guys don’t really exist like we think anymore...You might be next.” —Van, [06:01] - The panel agrees: everything is transactional now, including the fan-coach bond.
- Joel points out the emotional whiplash for fans: “It’s hard not to either love or hate your coach,” [07:40]
- They note Lane evokes strong feelings—few “really like” him, most either tolerate or revile.
Lane vs. Brian Kelly: LSU’s New Chapter ([10:15–18:20])
- Comparing Lane Kiffin and Brian Kelly, Van insists Kelly underwhelmed at LSU—failing at talent development, especially on the offensive line and defense:
“Worst special teams...worst defense we've ever had...no identity, and he simply wasn’t running a program on par with Lane Kiffin, at least these last couple of years at Ole Miss.” —Van, [11:12] - Joel defends Kelly’s consistency but concedes LSU fans “never really loved him.”
- LSU’s expectations for Lane are sky-high, especially with his new contract making him #2 in salary:
Current Highest Paid CFB Coaches:- Kirby Smart (Georgia)
- Lane Kiffin (LSU)
- Ryan Day (Ohio State)
- Lincoln Riley (USC)
- Dabo Swinney (Clemson) — [19:09]
- Lane’s awkward press conference is noted—possibly a sign of feeling pressure:
“He didn’t seem like he was quite in his own skin yet…hasn’t quite sunk in.” —Van, [19:44]
Main Character Energy: Lane & the Chaos He Brings ([22:30–26:35])
- Lane Kiffin is seen as the drama magnet of CFB; his departure becomes the main story because of his flair for the spotlight—complete with elaborate justifications and a flair for narrative control.
- Joel observes, “Absolutely, people are going to be hate-watching Lane Kiffin at this point,” [23:33]
- Joe lays out the timeline/rumors—Lane and his agent orchestrated this for months.
The Coaching Carousel: NBA, Not NFL ([29:07–32:48])
- Van argues CFB’s off-field drama is more akin to the NBA than NFL—storylines, personalities, and booster drama are woven into the experience:
“The drama is an essential part...it’s much more like the NBA, a drama-filled league, than the NFL.” —Van, [32:48] - Coaching moves at Florida, Auburn, Arkansas, and Oklahoma State are rapid-fire, many with playoff implications.
Power Broker Deep-Dive: Jimmy Sexton’s CFB Empire ([44:00–62:13])
Who Is Jimmy Sexton? ([45:13])
- Van: “Jimmy Sexton is the commissioner of college football.” — [45:18]
- His journey: Former roommate/agent for Reggie White, now agents for 14/16 SEC coaches.
How Sexton Controls the Carousel
- Negotiates contracts with buyouts/flexibility, normalizes massive salary escalation.
- Sets the terms for coaching musical chairs—schools fire his clients, then hire his other clients.
“His negotiations are like adding laws to the constitution of college football.” —Van, [55:35]
- Coaches at big playoff-contending schools increasingly rotate through his stable.
- “When we talk about what’s changed about college football…we oftentimes don’t talk about the movement of coaches and contracts. And that might be by design.” —Van, [61:40]
Ethical Debate
- Panel largely supports agents negotiating for coaches in the modern, capitalistic CFB world, but questions the insularity of hiring and how few Black coaches rise through the ranks:
“If you’ve got all that power, Jimmy, put some more brothers on the wall.” —Joel, [58:14]
Memorable Exchange:
- “The only person who was completely happy was Jimmy Sexton. So there’s nothing nefarious about it...he decides when the domino falls.” —Van, [56:44]
Penn State & The Shifting Sands of Expectation ([37:32–43:14])
- Joel runs through “blind” qualifications for a coach—revealing it’s James Franklin—and asks if fans would want that résumé.
- "All true, but…expectation. If we’re telling Penn State to lower their expectations, that’s one thing. They wanted to fuck. They kept getting everything else, but they wanted to fuck." —Van, [41:08]
- The group debates disappointment, patience, and the agony of “almost” programs.
Playoff Picture & Conference Championship Weekend ([73:57–86:21])
Which Game Matters Most?
- Van picks BYU vs. Texas Tech as the game with the biggest playoff ramifications:
- “That’s the game that can signal the chaos...BYU wins, all hell breaks loose—especially for Notre Dame.” —Van, [75:47]
- The panel notes the oddity of a “meaningless” #2 vs #1 (Indiana vs Ohio State):
- “I cannot think of a more meaningless two vs. one matchup. Even regular season ones meant more.” —Van, [76:46]
- Panel breaks down playoff hypotheticals, focusing on second/third at-large selection drama and the volatility around Notre Dame, Miami, Alabama, and more.
Big Van On Campus: A Parable for Ole Miss ([86:34–92:01])
Van delivers his signature motivational segment—this time, a Hollywood allegory warning programs about over-identifying with a single charismatic coach.
Parable: The story of Lee Majors, Ryan O'Neal, and Farrah Fawcett. Lee Majors trusts O'Neal with his girl (Fawcett), she leaves him for O'Neal, and the two stay together for decades.
Message for Ole Miss:
“Be careful showing off your girl. Don’t make your coach your whole personality...when you identify too hard with the coach, you show your girl off—and there might be a Ryan O’Neal on the other side.” —Van, [89:55]
Hopeful note: Even the “Six Million Dollar Man” bounced back, just like programs can.
Notable Quotes & Funny Moments
- On college football culture:
“O line, D line, storyline. You put those three together.” —Tate, [32:48] - Van on drama:
“College football is more NBA than NFL. The drama is an essential part of the watching experience.” [32:48] - On the Sexton effect:
“He negotiated a contract…that made his departure from Ole Miss easier if the chancellor or AD left. His negotiations change the money, the calculation…It’s like changing the constitution.” —Van, [55:01] - On Lane’s reputation:
“Lane exists in two pockets: people who tolerate him, and people who revile him.” —Van, [09:05] - Mocking the mess:
“If you see any of us in public, feel free to raise the roof.” —Joe House, [01:38] - On fan pain:
“The only time you’re mad you didn’t have sex is when you expected it.” —Van, [41:00] - On media narratives:
“At some point, they’re gonna all say the same fucking shit because all the coaches are repped by the same fucking guy.” —Van, [69:59]
Extended Banter & Show Close ([92:01–104:36])
Culminates in classic Ringer Tailgate fashion:
- Wild personal stories, digs about relationships, racing, old 70s love triangles, and inside jokes about wrestling, parties, and “showing off your girl.”
- Political sidebar: Diego Pavia, college football expansion, and social media antics.
- The show ends with everyone roasting each other and a reminder for listeners to join the live show on Saturday.
Takeaways for Listeners
- Lane Kiffin’s LSU move encapsulates modern college football: ambition, drama, and transactional relationships.
- Cultural loyalty is dead: Van Lathan mourns the loss of coaches-institutions unions.
- Jimmy Sexton wields king-making power, shaping narratives and contracts to suit coaches’ interests, leaving schools (and sometimes fans) to scramble and adjust in his wake.
- The coaching carousel is CFB’s real “main character”— drama drives the sport as much as on-field action.
- Caution against over-investment: Programs that hitch their identity to one coach risk heartbreak when the next big offer comes.
For Further Listening
Catch the crew live every Saturday or check out Wednesday drops for a weekly dose of analysis, banter, culture, and a pinch of chaos—wherever you get your podcasts.
Note: All timestamps in MM:SS format as per transcript.