Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin is dad first at son Knox Kiffin's football games but it isn't easy
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OXFORD — Ole Miss football coach Lane Kiffin said he tries to be a low-maintenance parent when watching his son, Knox, play high school football for the Oxford Chargers.
Even as someone qualified to give advice and input, he strives to be a dad first. He knows how frustrating the alternative is to deal with.
“I stay out of it,” Kiffin said Nov. 10. “I think (Oxford) Coach (Chris) Cutcliffe does a great job with the team, with the offense, with the quarterbacks specifically. I just was never going to be that parent because I’ve dealt with a lot of parents like that and especially at that position. I try to be the refreshing quarterback parent.”
No. 7 Ole Miss (9-1, 5-1 SEC) will host Florida (3-5, 2-5) on Nov. 15 (6 p.m., ESPN). It’s not the only big game for the Kiffins this week. Knox Kiffin and the Chargers (9-1) host an MHSAA 7A playoff game against Hernando (7-3) on Nov. 14.
Chris Cutcliffe, the son of former Ole Miss coach David Cutcliffe, is Oxford’s coach.
Knox Kiffin is a sophomore who began the season as the backup quarterback but has filled in for injured starter Drew Dean. Knox Kiffin started his third consecutive game on Nov. 6 in the Chargers’ final regular-season game against Starkville. Oxford won 27-21.
Lane Kiffin watched from the sidelines with his daughter, Landry, who is an Ole Miss student.
“I’m just excited that he gets the opportunity to play,” Lane Kiffin said. “They’ve got such a cool team and they have all these comebacks. It was just awesome to watch. The whole thing is really cool watching him and then Landry my daughter is next to me watching him.”
Knox Kiffin threw for 199 yards with four touchdowns on 12 completions in the game against Starkville. A late field goal helped Oxford put the game away. That situation tested Lane Kiffin’s resolve the most in the game.
“At the end of the game last week, in some situations I was like 20 yards away from Cutcliffe,” Lane Kiffin said. “It took everything not to say, ‘Hey, run this ball to the right right here because of the field goal.’ “
Knox Kiffin has appeared in five of Oxford’s 10 games and has 826 total yards and nine touchdowns.
Who is recruiting Knox Kiffin?
Knox is a 6-foot-2, 170-pound recruit in the class of 2028. He recently moved to Oxford. The Chargers are one of the top teams in MHSAA 7A.
Knox has earned eight offers according to 247Sports. Ole Miss is not one of them. Knox has offers from SMU, Arkansas State, Western Kentucky, Sacramento State, Murray State, Georgia State, FIU and East Carolina.
Where has Knox Kiffin visited?
Knox visited LSU for the game against South Carolina on Oct. 11 and visited Alabama on Nov. 8 for the game against LSU.
He does not have any offers in the SEC.
Sam Hutchens covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at Shutchens@gannett.com or reach him on X at @Sam_Hutchens_
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Lane Kiffin wants to be dad first at son Knox Kiffin’s football games
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