Stephen A. Smith blasts Lane Kiffin over Playoff coaching drama: ‘It’s a damn shame’
By Adam Spencer
Published:
The drama continue to swirl around Lane Kiffin after his move from Ole Miss to LSU ahead of the College Football Playoff.
We all know the story by now — Kiffin left Oxford and hired away most of the Rebels’ offensive staff. However, he let most of his assistants continue to coach the Rebels through the Tulane and Georgia games.
Now, though, a couple of assistants won’t be with Ole Miss during the semifinal matchup against Miami on Thursday night. OC Charlie Weis Jr. is still calling plays for the Rebels, but other guys won’t be around as they turn their attention to Kiffin and LSU.
On Thursday’s edition of “First Take” on ESPN, host Stephen A. Smith agreed with former Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher’s criticism of the way Kiffin is handling the situation:
“Jimbo Fisher’s 1,000% right — Lane Kiffin looks very, very bad,” Smith said. “All the words he said about caring about the kids, it goes right out the window. It’s a damn shame. I’m one of those people who has always supported Lane Kiffin moving to LSU. I said that was absolutely the right move to make and I stand by that. … At a time where you have every opportunity to not remind people of those character flaws others have said you have, here you go reminding them. …
“My attitude is this — either the coaches are allowed to coach or they’re not. … You either let them coach through the duration until Ole Miss’s season is over or you don’t. Whatever decision you make, you make it up front and you live with it.”
Will Ole Miss defeat Miami in the Fiesta Bowl on Thursday night to advance to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game? Thursday’s matchup out in Arizona kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
