Jimbo Fisher: Lane Kiffin is 'the villain' for the way his departure from Ole Miss to LSU has impacted the playoff

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Former Florida State and Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher does not like how multiple Ole Miss assistants will not be coaching the Rebels on Thursday night in the Fiesta Bowl.

Four offensive assistants are going with Lane Kiffin to LSU. Though offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. and running backs coach Kevin Smith will be with the Rebels against Miami, tight ends coach Joe Cox and wide receivers coach George McDonald will not be with the team. And Fisher thinks Kiffin has become a “villain” for the way his departure has played out.

On the ACC Network’s “Inside ACCess” Wednesday night, Fisher hypothesized that what Kiffin “didn’t bank on, was [Ole Miss] winning” in the College Football Playoff. As Kiffin recruits for his new job — one that he thought gave him a better chance at a national title — Ole Miss is a win away from playing for a national championship itself.

“He thought his dysfunction of leaving would cause them the dysfunction,” Fisher said. “No, it united them. And those coaches went back because they love the kids and they did it and now he’s pulling them back. When you made that decision back then to say they can coach, they should coach all the way through. I’m not saying they can’t go recruit during the day, during the week, can game plan — you’ve got computers, you can break down the game plan, call the kids, have a Zoom meeting and then I’ll be back for the game, I’ll be back two days before the game — that’s where he’s wrong.

“He thinks he’s made out to be the villain. He is right now. Because that is wrong. Those kids have an opportunity to do something — You know that national championship ring I have? … You don’t get those opportunities. And what they have done. And for them to have the opportunity to win a national championship … you made that decision a month ago, you live it out all throughout the playoffs. And he’s wrong for doing it and I’ll say he’s wrong. I have no problem saying that.”

New Ole Miss coach Pete Golding has the opportunity to go 3-0 in the College Football Playoff before Kiffin has ever coached a playoff game himself. Golding, the team’s defensive coordinator, was installed as Ole Miss’ coach as Kiffin was in the process of leaving for LSU. And the Rebels have beaten Tulane and Georgia to be two wins away from their first national title in over 60 years.

Wednesday, Golding made it clear that he wanted to build a program where "one person, one player or anything like that" won't derail it.

"I'm replaceable, you're replaceable, our players are replaceable," Golding said. "I think you want to build a program to where it's heading in the right direction and one person, one player or anything like that's not going to derail that.

"There's been too much invested in that, and it's been aligned correctly that one person is not going to impact something so drastically. If it is, it's probably not built right. If one coach in any sport can determine the outcome of it, he probably doesn't have a very good staff. I mean, if one player can determine the outcome of it, we probably didn't recruit and create the right depth."

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