Lane Kiffin Links Drinking to 2016 Divorce

Lane Kiffin, the first-year head football coach at Louisiana State University, disclosed in a recent interview that a longtime drinking problem contributed to the 2016 divorce from his wife, Layla, before the couple reconciled last year.

Kiffin, 51, shared the details with Vanity Fair amid scrutiny over his abrupt departure from Ole Miss in November 2025, where he had led the Rebels to a 55-19 record over six seasons and positioned them for their first College Football Playoff appearance. He signed a $91 million contract with LSU, its Southeastern Conference rival, drawing criticism from fans who viewed the move as prioritizing money over loyalty.

The coach traced his struggles to an intense early-career drive for success. "My whole drive when I was younger was like, How fast can I get everything? How fast can I get the big job? The big contract?" Kiffin said. He described escalating from beer to vodka, which fueled resume-building decisions and strained his marriage while he served as Alabama's offensive coordinator under Nick Saban. The couple, parents to daughters Landry, 21, Presley, 19, and son Monte Knox, 17, divorced that year but rekindled their relationship in 2025...