‘He Cheated Those Kids,’ ‘All About Himself’ — CFB Analyst Delivers Scathing Assessment of Lane Kiffin As LSU HC Returns to Ole Miss
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Lane Kiffin’s LSU will travel to Oxford on Saturday to face his former team, Ole Miss, in one of the most highly anticipated college football matchups of the season. Kiffin’s return to Oxford after leaving the Rebels for LSU has added another layer to an already heated rivalry.
Ahead of the showdown, CBS Sports’ Aaron Taylor reignited the debate surrounding Kiffin’s departure from Ole Miss.
Aaron Taylor Calls Out Lane Kiffin Ahead of Highly Anticipated LSU-Ole Miss Showdown
Kiffin led Ole Miss to an 11-1 regular-season record in 2025 before leaving to become LSU’s head coach. His decision came as the Rebels were preparing for a College Football Playoff appearance, leaving Ole Miss to navigate the postseason and compete for a national championship without the coach who had led the team to a strong record.
Kiffin left before Ole Miss’ first-ever CFP appearance. The Rebels then went on to beat Tulane and Georgia before losing 31-27 to Miami in the semifinal.
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After accepting the LSU job, Kiffin wanted to remain in charge of Ole Miss for its postseason run. However, Ole Miss officials reportedly declined to let him coach the Rebels in the College Football Playoff after he accepted the LSU position.
The relationship between Kiffin and Ole Miss remained contentious during the offseason as he made several comments about his former program and Oxford. That included comments suggesting perceptions about Mississippi and Oxford made it more difficult to recruit some Black players, remarks for which he later apologized.
With Kiffin now preparing to face his former team as LSU’s head coach, Taylor did not hold back when discussing the way his departure unfolded.
“I did not like the way that he left Ole Miss at all, especially with what they had at stake, because he had elevated that program and had an opportunity to do it,” Taylor said. “The timing was awful, and I know he took advantage of the system we have, and we need to make wholesale changes there.”
“There’s a consistency with him about how he shows up ethically, how he shows up morally, how he shows up in a business context. It’s pretty consistent,” the CBS analyst added.
Kiffin’s departure also invites comparisons with former Ole Miss coach Tommy Tuberville. In 1998, Tuberville left for Auburn two days after Ole Miss completed its regular season, despite previously saying he expected to remain in Oxford. David Cutcliffe then coached the Rebels in the Independence Bowl.
Kiffin’s move to LSU also drew scrutiny because of the circumstances surrounding his departure, leaving Ole Miss while the program had not completed the season. As he ultimately chose LSU, Taylor said the decision affected the Rebels players who had committed to the program and its culture.
“He’s all about himself, and I get it… But we are in a sport that we espouse the importance of teamwork, the importance of sacrificing your ego and self for the greater good. I know there’s a business aspect to it, but he cheated those kids, in my opinion,” Taylor alleged.
“I’m not saying that he shouldn’t have left under those circumstances; I’m saying he should have figured out a way to finish the obligation that he made to those people before he went on.”
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The lingering resentment also includes Kiffin’s efforts to recruit some of his former players to LSU. The Tigers were also linked to Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, who ranked No. 5 in the PFN’s College Football QB Impact Metric last season, with reports indicating LSU was prepared to pursue him if he received another year of eligibility.
Several Rebels ultimately did make the move, with four Ole Miss players, including defensive player Princewill Umanmielen, transferring to LSU.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.
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