Aaron Taylor calls out Lane Kiffin over departing Ole Miss for LSU: ‘He’s all about himself’
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Aaron Taylor didn’t mince words when discussing Lane Kiffin‘s departure for LSU after six seasons at Ole Miss.
With the Tigers and Rebels set to square off at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on Saturday, Kiffin’s return to Oxford will be the main headline across college football. On Tuesday’s “Inside College Football” on CBS Sports Network, Taylor made it clear that he wasn’t fond of how things went down, and with the Rebels playing at a historic level, at that.
“The timing was awful. And I know he took advantage of the system we have, and we need to make wholesale changes there,” Taylor said. “But my mama always said, ‘Your actions speak so loudly, I can hardly hear what you’re saying.’ There’s a consistency with him about how he shows up ethically, how he shows up morally, how he shows up in a business context that’s pretty consistent. He’s all about himself.”
Taylor added that Kiffin “cheated” his Ole Miss players by leaving before the College Football Playoff began, with Pete Golding being promoted to the top job shortly thereafter. Thanks in part to Trinidad Chambliss and Kewan Lacy, the Rebels eventually made it to the Fiesta Bowl semifinal before losing to Miami.
“I’m not saying that he shouldn’t have left, but under those circumstances, I’m saying he should have figured out a way to finish the obligation that he made to those people before he went on and took his next opportunity,” Taylor added.
As displeased as Taylor is with how Kiffin left, that’s nothing compared to how Rebels fans feel. And there’s no question they’ll let him know on Saturday.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
