LSU Coaches Navigate Uncertainty as Ole Miss Prepares for Playoffs

The situation surrounding LSU coaches, especially those who transitioned from Ole Miss under Lane Kiffin, is quite tumultuous, especially as the Rebels gear up for the College Football Playoff.

One person caught in this upheaval is Ole Miss quarterbacks coach Joe Judge. Although he is staying put and not moving to Baton Rouge, he still has to ponder who will be on the practice field alongside him each week.

This week, during an interview about the challenges he’s facing, Judge made a remark that harkened back to his days with the New England Patriots. He mentioned, “My neighbor was Aaron Hernandez,” drawing attention to the chaos that surrounded Hernandez’s tumultuous life and NFL career.

Hernandez, who was convicted of murdering Odin Lloyd in 2013, lived just a stone’s throw away from Judge. The coach pointed out that even when he watched documentaries about that incident, his own house appeared on screen. “Detectives knocked on my door to find out where he was. I had no idea,” Judge reflected. He described the circumstances at the time as disorganized, despite some interactions with the organization.

Looking back, Judge sees parallels between that experience and the current situation with his players handling distractions. He noted, “The players that year managed everything really well. They emerged from that mess with good guidance from veterans and peers. Sure, wild things occur, and the question is how to cope with them. Focus on what you can control. At that time, that meant football, and we poured ourselves into it, achieving success.”

He also likened the present circumstances to the 2020 NFL season when he was leading the New York Giants, during which suddenly arising COVID-19 tests made player availability unpredictable.

As it stands, the Rebels are set to take on Miami this Thursday in the College Football Playoff semifinals, a significant moment in their season.