NEW ORLEANS — As No. 6 Ole Miss celebrated its historic 39-34 victory against No. 3 Georgia in Thursday’s College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Sugar Bowl, the shadow of former coach Lane Kiffin continued to hang over the program.
Sources told ESPN on Thursday night that it remained unclear how many Ole Miss assistants, who are joining Kiffin at LSU, will be allowed to remain with the Rebels when they face No. 10 Miami next Thursday in a CFP semifinal at the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Arizona.
Offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr., tight ends coach/co-offensive coordinator Joe Cox, wide receivers coach/passing game coordinator George McDonald and running backs coach Kevin Smith have all signed contracts to coach with Kiffin at LSU.
With the transfer portal opening Friday, sources told ESPN that the Rebels aren’t certain they will have all of those assistants with them when they play the Hurricanes in six days.
A source said some of the assistants have apparently pushed back on leaving an Ole Miss team that is two victories away from winning a national championship.
“There are going to be some fireworks,” an Ole Miss source told ESPN. “We always knew this might be a possibility.”
Sources told ESPN, after the Rebels’ win, that Weis was expected to coach in the Fiesta Bowl. But sources also said that a plan was in place for the other LSU assistants to return to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to help the Tigers prepare to host prospects in the transfer portal this weekend.
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Kiffin was named LSU’s coach on Nov. 30. Former defensive coordinator Pete Golding, who was named Kiffin’s replacement only hours after Kiffin’s abrupt departure, has coached the Rebels in both CFP victories.
“Everything has been extremely clear and transparent between myself and Pete Golding through constant communication, including a plan all the way through this historic championship run,” Kiffin told ESPN on Friday morning. “What an amazing night for all Ole Miss players, coaches and fans.”
The prospective LSU coaches returned to Ole Miss to help lead the Rebels to a 41-10 victory against No. 11 Tulane in a CFP first-round game in Oxford, Mississippi, on Dec. 20. They were also in New Orleans this week as the Rebels prepared to play Georgia.
Senior analyst/pass game specialist Dane Stevens and graduate assistant Sawyer Jordan, who helps with slot receivers, are also leaving for LSU.
Kiffin considered attending the Sugar Bowl, and lobbied to appear on “College GameDay” or another program during the ESPN game broadcast. He ended up skipping the Sugar Bowl to attend LSU’s women’s basketball game Thursday night.
While considering job offers from Florida, Florida State and LSU for weeks, Kiffin had asked Ole Miss chancellor Glenn Boyce and athletic director Keith Carter to allow him to coach the Rebels in the CFP even if he took another job.
Boyce and Carter made it clear throughout the process that Kiffin wouldn’t coach in the CFP if he left for another school, sources previously told ESPN.
In a social media post, Kiffin said the Ole Miss administration denied his request “despite the team also asking him to allow me to keep coaching them so they could better maintain their high level of performance.” Some Ole Miss players disputed Kiffin’s statement on social media.
After the Rebels knocked off the Bulldogs to win the second CFP game in school history, senior defensive tackle Zxavian Harris said Kiffin was again trying to steal the spotlight from one of the greatest teams in Ole Miss history.
“Yeah, he was just trying to steal our shine,” Harris said. “That’s all he’s trying to do. That’s all he’s been trying to do is steal our shine.”
Harris said Kiffin’s abrupt departure from Ole Miss in the middle of a CFP run was like a “slap in the face.”
“Like a slap and the backhand,” Harris said. “He was trying to be a troll. We’re going to troll him. We got something for him.”
