Lane Kiffin is adding to his Ole Miss coaching staff, and he reached across the Egg Bowl rivalry lines for the hiring.

According to Zach Berry with On3 Sports, Ole Miss has hired former Mississippi State head coach Zach Arnett as an analyst. Kiffin has since confirmed the move and explained Arnett as a good fit and a lesson he learned from Nick Saban related to the move.

Arnett most recently served as the head coach at Mississippi State with a 5-6 overall record before getting fired before the end of the 2023 season. He assumed the head coaching role with the Bulldogs following the tragic death of Mike Leach and led Mississippi State to an emotional win in the 2022 ReliaQuest Bowl.

Before assuming the head coaching role at MSU, Arnett served as Leach’s defensive coordinator from 2020-22. He also served at San Diego State earlier in his career.

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Reaction to the move

Any time there is a rivalry move, it is noteworthy. The fact that Kiffin is involved only adds to the intrigue, considering Arnett’s strong track record as a DC and position coach.

The reaction to the Wednesday reports flooded social media with multiple people pointing out that adding Arnett as an analyst is a big win for Ole Miss. Here are some of the best: