Lane Kiffin calls out lack of minority head coaches: 'It's really a system that needs to be fixed'
Lane Kiffin has strong feelings about the lack of diversity in the football head coaching community. Kiffin didn’t shy from criticizing the current system when speaking to reporters on Saturday.
The topic came up when Kiffin discussed Ole Miss wide receivers coach Derrick Nix acting as the Rebels’ head coach for Saturday’s scrimmage while Kiffin coached receivers. They made the switch for approximately 24 hours, Kiffin said in his post-scrimmage press conference.
“That was done not as a PR thing,” Kiffin told reporters. “That was really done to give him an opportunity to see what it’s like.”
Kiffin used the opening statement of his press conference to speak out on the lack of opportunities for Black coaches in college football’s major conferences and the NFL.
“There’s more Tony Dungys, there’s more Lovie Smiths, there’s more Mike Tomlins that never get the opportunity. … We’re in 2023, and between SEC and Big 12, we have no minority head coaches. That’s really unfortunate, not that I’m going to be able to change that.”
Kiffin hopes Nix’s scrimmage experience helps the veteran assistant land a head coaching opportunity.
“To give someone the opportunity to speak in front of the team, to handle media, to handle pregame meal, to handle injury reports, to get out there today to manage the kind of scrimmage, which is like a mock game that way, I think was really good for (Nix),” Kiffin said. “And again, you can’t see how good somebody is until they get a chance to do it. That would be my wish out there to ADs and presidents and universities to understand that, and this is a good example.
“Coach Nix has been here; we’ve been fortunate to keep him here. He’s had a lot of opportunities to leave. Enjoy working with him. He’s done a great job. And then today, I saw a whole other level out of him with his intensity in meetings last night, in pregame meal with the players, handling depth charts, doing everything. I was inspired by listening to him this morning … talk to the team. So, it was really cool to step back, be able to see that.”
Nix has been in coaching since 2003, getting his start as a graduate assistant at Southern Miss, his alma mater. He joined the Ole Miss staff in 2008 as running backs coach. When Kiffin became Ole Miss’ head coach, Nix stayed on staff, switching to wide receivers coach. In 2022, Nix added the title of Assistant Head Coach.
“I just hope coaches like Coach Nix in this profession – Black coaches that don’t get opportunities – start getting opportunities,” Kiffin said,” because it is ridiculous, when we’re talking about two major conferences right here in this area, and when whatever it is, 80% of our players are minority but we have all white coaches. It’s really a system that needs to be fixed.”
