This weekend’s drama over “Where will Lane Kiffin coach college football?” reminded me of LeBron James’ over-hyped “The Decision” in July, 2010.

Ole Miss football coach Lane Kiffin has become the hottest coaching commodity since Nick Saban’s younger days.  The Rebels 11-1 record this fall was the best regular season posted by either Ole Miss or in-state rival Mississippi State in the college football history of both schools.

Lane Kiffin (now 50 years of age) used a late-season bye week in order to take his family to visit Baton Rouge (LSU) and Gainesville (University of Florida) to contemplate their respective head coaching openings.

Coach Kiffin returned to Oxford a week later and led the Rebels to Friday’s 38-19 drubbing of Mississippi State to end the regular season.

The Ole Miss Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics Keith Carter advised the media last week that Coach Kiffin would announce his decision (stay or go) on the day after Ole Miss played Mississippi State.

Saturday’s lack of news coming out of Oxford led many to believe that the football coach may be getting cold feet.

Don’t let the screen door hit you…on your way out!

Lane Kiffin advised his 49-year old boss (Keith Carter) on Saturday that he was, indeed, taking the head coaching job at LSU.

However, Kiffin wanted to have the chance to remain another month to coach his team through the remainder of the football season.  Ole Miss (ranked #6) is likely to host a first round College Football Playoff game on Saturday, December 13. The coach wanted to stay with his players through their final game. LSU agreed.

Ole Miss athletics boss Keith Carter effectively told Lane Kiffin, “Not no, but heck no.”

He refused to let the head coach even talk to his players on Sunday and made it known that Kiffin should skedaddle to Baton Rouge ASAP.

Hours later, Lane Kiffin did just that.  A small group of Ole Miss fans loudly cursed the coach as he boarded a private jet in Oxford on Sunday afternoon.

Lane Kiffin’s Defensive Coordinator, Pete Golding, was named the new Ole Miss football coach on Sunday as well.

For the record, the 41-year old Pete Golding has never been a head football coach at any level prior to receiving this very generous battlefield promotion on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Tulane and North Texas are allowing their departing coaches to continue

This weekend also found Tulane’s football coach Jon Sumrall and University of North Texas coach Eric Morris taking the top jobs at the University of Florida and Oklahoma State respectively.

Tulane Athletic Director David Harris posted that Coach Sumrall asked to coach the Green Wave for the remaining games of this football season.  Harris gladly obliged based on their years of mutual trust.

The same thing happened with the University of North Texas and departing coach Eric Morris.

He will coach the Mean Green football team for the remainder of the season and then move to Oklahoma State.

Ironically, Jon Sumrall and Eric Morris will face each other this Friday night.  Tulane (10-2) hosts 11-1 North Texas in New Orleans in the American Athletic Conference championship game.

Why didn’t Ole Miss athletics boss Keith Carter do the same thing for Coach Lane Kiffin?

That’s a great question, and it may hold the key as to why Kiffin is moving on to LSU.

In 2019, Keith Carter was promoted into his current job just weeks prior to the hiring of Lane Kiffin at Ole Miss.  Carter (a former Ole Miss basketball player and a prolific fund raiser for Ole Miss athletics) is one year younger than Lane Kiffin.

It’s safe to say that these two gentlemen are quite competitive by nature.

Partial credit for the rise in the profile of Ole Miss football in the past few years should be given to Keith Carter for hiring Lane Kiffin in 2019.  Of course, Coach Kiffin, his staff, and players have made Ole Miss into a national force in college football in recent years.

That same 44 year old Lane Kiffin had already been the head coach for the Oakland Raiders (one and 1/2 years), Tennessee Volunteers (one season), USC (three and ½ years), and Florida Atlantic (three years) prior to accepting his fifth head coaching assignment at Ole Miss in 2019.

Ole Miss sports boss Keith Carter had to know that hiring Lane Kiffin came with the risk that his coach might not stick around for too many years.

Kiffin’s six-year tenure at Ole Miss was, by far, the longest in his head coaching career.

Lane Kiffin’s years in Oxford marked a time in which he has become closer to his family.  The coach gave up drinking nearly five years ago and says he is also more mentally sober today as well.

He admits that his time in Oxford has been the greatest period in his coaching career.

Keep in mind that Keith Carter (Kiffin’s boss) bleeds Ole Miss blue and red.  He reportedly offered to match the salary of any suitors (primarily LSU and Florida) to get his football coach to sign a contract extension to stay put.

Keith Carter had to endure questions from local and national media as to why Coach Kiffin was traveling to visit Florida and LSU during the team’s recent bye week.  The school’s athletics chief desperately wanted his football coach to tell the media that he was staying put in Oxford.

Lane Kiffin and family returned from their brief visits in mid-November and said that no decisions had been made.

When Coach Kiffin finally confirmed that he was leaving for LSU last Saturday, it appeared that his boss (Keith Carter) felt rather offended after being strung along for more than a full week.

I believe that is a big reason why Keith Carter rejected Coach Kiffin’s request to continue leading this year’s team through the upcoming College Football Playoffs.

The College Football Playoff Committee should not “punish” Ole Miss after their head coach left

The Ole Miss executive hierarchy immediately promoted defensive coordinator Pete Golding into the permanent head coaching spot.  That decision seems primarily designed to give the College Football Playoff committee an assurance that this year’s Ole Miss football team is “stable” and deserves to host a first-round playoff game.

This season’s Ole Miss players and the team’s fans deserve that much for a tremendous 11-1 season.

The CFP committee (which has a tendency to listen to TV partner ESPN) angered many a few years ago by leaving out 13-0 Florida State after its quarterback was injured in the ACC Championship game.

The loss of a football team’s star quarterback is a quantifiable loss. 

How can the CFP committee fairly assess the value of a team’s head coach?

Answer: They shouldn’t!

LSU’s Athletics Director handed the keys over to Lane Kiffin

Verge Ausberry was appointed as LSU’s new Director of Athletics on November 4.  His primary task was to find a qualified replacement for the recently-departed Brian Kelly.

Ausberry somehow landed the biggest coaching fish in the college football ocean by signing Lane Kiffin to become the Tigers new head coach.

Monday’s introductory press conference at LSU provided a big reason why Kiffin decided to come to TigerTown.

He said that LSU AD Verge Ausberry told him, “I’m going to leave you alone and let you coach the team.  I like when I hear that (laughter from the crowd).  We’re going to give you everything to win, and I’m going to leave you alone and go coach the team and win championships!”

Lane Kiffin is a talented football coach and a very creative innovator.  He may have felt a little constrained at Ole Miss by his former boss, Keith Carter.

As we all know, some bosses are more hands-on than others.

LSU’s Verge Ausberry is going to give Coach Kiffin plenty of room to design a national championship football team in Baton Rouge.

Lane Kiffin (at least for the next few years) has the football team’s car keys, and he is definitely in the driver’s seat right now.  Tiger faithful are excited and cautiously optimistic about the team’s chances for a fifth national championship coming soon.

Enjoy “The Lane Kiffin Show” while you can, LSU fans.  Just remember that his escape pod will be parked nearby.

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