Some people learn from mistakes. Others don’t. It seems that we can now put Lane Kiffin into the latter category.
After six seasons as the head coach at Ole Miss, he is now headed to Baton Rouge to take the opening at LSU. But that may not actually be the most noteworthy aspect of this year’s back-and-forth Kiffin carousel. Most people were convinced that he was eventually going to leave Oxford. The bigger aspect is the bridges he’s burning and the damage he’s doing to his rebuilt reputation, on the way out. For a guy who has publicly addressed mistakes he’s made throughout his career, and just how much Ole Miss has helped him better himself over the years, going out this way is simply head-scratching behavior.
So what’s the latest, and how exactly have things gone so bad between Kiffin and the Rebels?
A Messy Conclusion to a Wild Month
What Led to the Drama Between Kiffin and Ole Miss?
There’s an easy answer. Ego.
A lot of people are arguing that the college football timeline caused this. However, no other coach has created this circus, and they’re all dealing with the same timeline. They all managed to decide their future, and most signed extensions. Kiffin is the outlier.
Sure, the sport has changed, and decisions have to be made quicker. And yes, changes are needed to the college football calendar. But a month or more should be plenty of time. Ultimately, it apparently wasn’t enough time for Kiffin. After reports surfaced of mutual interest between him and LSU, Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter explained that the Rebels needed an answer as soon as possible. He then essentially set a deadline for Saturday, following Friday’s Egg Bowl. When looking out for your university’s best interests, that’s a reasonable decision.
After Ole Miss’ Egg Bowl win and all but guaranteeing their spot in the College Football Playoff, that deadline was reached. Now, after a wild Saturday of waiting for a decision, Kiffin is set to take the LSU job.
So where, and how, did things go so wrong?
That would be because reports suggest that Kiffin’s trying to coach the Rebels through the playoffs. Rumors are also floating that he’s threatening to attempt to take a few of the coaches and players with him to Baton Rouge, even before the playoff begins. In essence, getting them to opt out of the playoffs. That is, if he is told no to coaching the team the rest of the way. A few obvious names to look out for would be Trinidad Chambliss, Kewan Lacy, and offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr.
There’s only one problem with all of that.
Why Ole Miss Can’t Allow Kiffin to Remain on the Sideline
Despite what many people would make you believe, this is one of the easiest answers to the whole situation. If you are Ole Miss, why would you let LSU’s coach roam your sidelines and facilities for weeks before leaving?
You wouldn’t. The same way no self-respecting university would allow that to happen. The Tigers are arguably the Rebels’ second biggest rival. In no sane world can Ole Miss allow Kiffin to continue to coach this team. Regardless of what kind of temper tantrum he wants to threaten and throw on his way out the door. Sure, there’s likely a handful of players and coaches who will end up following him either way. That doesn’t mean you make it easier for them. If he wants to poach those guys, make him do it from Baton Rouge.
Furthermore, it appears that Ole Miss is in good shape to host a first-round playoff game. As a university, you can’t put yourself in a position where the head coach on the sideline of a playoff game gets booed mercilessly by your own fans. If Kiffin is on the sideline, that’s likely the mildest thing that would happen from the Rebel faithful.
For everyone’s sake, as a program, you simply can’t put yourself in that position.
Kiffin: From a Hero to a Villain
Regardless of how all of this plays out, there are a few things that are certain. One is that Kiffin has now become a villain in the city of Oxford. Ole Miss was willing to give him nearly everything he wanted. Money, resources, and everything in between. Leaving that was always going to cause a rift, as expected. But to attempt to burn it all down on the way out creates a layer that many weren’t expecting.
The other is that he has effectively destroyed the goodwill he had gained over the past six seasons. After nearly rebuilding the public image that he had tarnished early in his career, this entire ordeal has once again shattered that for a lot of people. Not solely with the fact of his leaving, but the way the whole situation has gone down.
However, in the end, people have to live with the actions they take. Only time will tell whether Kiffin grows to regret this one.
Main Image: Ayrton Breckenridge/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
