In the month since he first became the head coach of LSU, Lane Kiffin has remained publicly supportive of Ole Miss.
Clearly, that feeling isn’t mutual.
Following the Rebels’ victory over Georgia in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal Sugar Bowl on Thursday, Ole Miss is now one win away from playing for what would be its first national championship in program history. Don’t, however, expect many — or any — of Kiffin’s former players to give him credit, if comments made by Zxavian Harris are any indication.
“Yeah, he was just trying to steal our shine,” the Rebels star defensive tackle said, according to ESPN’s Mark Schlabach. “That’s all he’s trying to do. That’s all he’s been trying to do is steal our shine.”
Harris’ comments seemingly came in reference to Kiffin considering attending attending the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, which he ultimately didn’t do after reportedly unsuccessfully lobbying to make an in-game appearance on the ESPN broadcast. Instead, the 50-year-old head coach attended the LSU women’s basketball game against Kentucky in Baton Rouge, where he made an appearance alongside Tigers head coach Kim Mulkey.
Kiffin’s late-November departure from Oxford has been understandably messy, as he also unsuccessfully campaigned to continue coaching Ole Miss throughout its playoff run. But while the ex-Alabama offensive coordinator insisted he had the support of the team’s players to do so, multiple Rebels have since disputed that claim, including Harris.
“Like a slap and the backhand,” Harris told Schlabach of Kiffin’s departure. “He was trying to be a troll. We’re going to troll him. We got something for him.”
Ultimately, so long as Ole Miss remains alive in the playoff, this saga isn’t going anywhere. Now all eyes turn to whether Kiffin will allow LSU assistants such as offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. to continue coaching their soon-to-be former program in the playoff, as the Tigers turn their own attention to the transfer portal.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.