Lane Kiffin’s LSU coaches come back to Ole Miss to contribute in the playoffs

Coaching Changes at Ole Miss Following Kiffin’s Departure

Lane Kiffin has put together his coaching team at LSU, but it looks like four of his assistants, who previously left Ole Miss to follow him, will be heading back to Oxford. This comes on the heels of Ole Miss’s impressive season, finishing with an 11-1 record under Kiffin, who will now be preparing for the College Football Playoff starting next weekend.

These returning coaches—Tight Ends Coach Joe Cox, Wide Receivers Coach George McDonald, Assistant Quarterbacks Coach Dane Stephens, and Slot Wide Receivers Coach Sawyer Jordan—are set to assist Ole Miss Offensive Coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. as well as new Head Coach Pete Golding for their upcoming playoff matchup against the Tulane Green Wave.

Reports indicate that Kiffin made the decision to let these staff members return in order to “maximize our staff and players’ chances for a playoff appearance,” which would mark the Rebels’ first trip to the playoffs since the format was introduced.

Interestingly, this isn’t the first time that Weiss has returned to Ole Miss after Kiffin accepted the LSU coaching position following Brian Kelly’s mid-season exit.

For the Rebels, facing Tulane again brings back memories of their earlier clash, which ended in a disappointing 45-10 loss back on September 20. However, Kiffin’s exit wasn’t entirely smooth. There have been some disagreements, particularly involving Ole Miss Athletic Director Keith Carter, who countered Kiffin’s claims regarding restrictions on his coaching future with the team.

Carter stated that while there might be various narratives out there, they may not be completely accurate. He also mentioned that Kiffin was informed weeks ago that he wouldn’t be the one to coach Ole Miss in a playoff scenario.

In his final remarks to the Rebels, Kiffin emphasized a desire to “help lead Ole Miss to the playoffs and complete his significant six seasons with the team.” However, Carter denied this request despite hearing from the team itself asking for Kiffin to remain in coaching.

In an interesting twist, one of Kiffin’s players, Offensive Lineman Brycen Sanders, challenged this narrative. After hearing Kiffin’s comments, Sanders voiced a different perspective, suggesting the opposite of what has been portrayed.