Ole Miss players dispute Lane Kiffin’s claim that team wanted him to continue coaching in CFP
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
If Lane Kiffin had it his way, he’d be at Ole Miss coaching the team during the College Football Playoff before diving into his duties at LSU. That obviously won’t be happening. Ole Miss AD Keith Carter denied Kiffin’s request, with newly installed head coach Pete Golding at the helm of the Rebels’ first-ever Playoff appearance.
Kiffin’s statement on X announcing his departure from Ole Miss for LSU noted that Carter’s refusal to let him stay on board through the Playoff came even after “the team also (asked)” him to remain “so they could better maintain their high level of performance.” But according to a couple of Rebels players, that wasn’t quite the case.
Take Brycen Sanders, a member of Kiffin’s 2023 recruiting class and a four-star recruit from Chattanooga who was considered one of the country’s top interior offensive linemen. The redshirt sophomore has appeared in all of the Rebels’ games so far in 2025. In his own post to X quoting Kiffin’s statement, it’s fair to say that he isn’t quite buying his former head coach’s assertions:
If that’s enough, here’s junior Suntarine Perkins’ take:
Kiffin will be credited for his success with the Rebels during his six seasons in Oxford. Aside from its upcoming Playoff appearance, four of the program’s eleven double-digit win seasons came during his tenure. His 55 wins ranks third in school history. The only Ole Miss coach with a better winning percentage than Kiffin’s 74.3% mark has the stadium named after him.
That said, if you ask some players in the Rebels locker room, any goodwill between them and their former coach is long gone.
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.
