Lane Kiffin points to racial history, lack of diversity in Oxford as recruiting disadvantage
By Ethan Stone
Published:
Lane Kiffin had a lot to say about his move from Ole Miss to LSU to Vanity Fair this weekend.
In an exclusive article released Monday, Vanity Fair sat with Kiffin to dissect his view of the controversial move that saw the former Rebels head coach land in Baton Rouge.
Notably, Kiffin argues that LSU has several advantages over Ole Miss — and not just from the perspective of NIL or historical performance. He recalled times where a recruit would tell him that Oxford, Mississippi was not a preferred destination due to Confederate symbols and an overall lack of diversity on campus. Kiffin also insisted that this is not an issue in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
“’Hey, coach, we really like you. But my grandparents aren’t letting me move to Oxford, Mississippi.’ That doesn’t come up when you say Baton Rouge, Louisiana,” Kiffin told Vanity Fair. “Parents were sitting here this weekend saying the campus’s diversity feels so great: ‘It feels like there’s no segregation’”
Kiffin later told Vanity Fair that he did not mean for this comment to take aim at or be disrespectful to Ole Miss, insisting, “There are some things that I’m saying that are factual, they’re not shots.”
LSU plays at Ole Miss on Saturday, September 19.
Ethan Stone is a Tennessee graduate and loves all things college football and college basketball. Firm believer in fouling while up 3.
