From Newsweek · Rowan Fisher-Shotton · · 1m 30s
Kiffin’s Oxford return gets personal
Lane Kiffin comes back to Ole Miss with LSU, and the bad blood is about far more than football.
In brief
Lane Kiffin comes back to Ole Miss with LSU, and the bad blood is about far more than football. Ole Miss fans are angry less because Kiffin left, and more because school leaders say he tried to weaken the program on his way out. Originally reported by Newsweek.
A charged homecoming
Lane Kiffin returns to Oxford with LSU to face the Ole Miss team he left after its best season ever. Both teams enter Week 3 ranked in the top 10.
Ole Miss wants a message
The matchup already carries SEC stakes, but Ole Miss has another motive. The program wants to answer Kiffin in front of a fan base still angry about his exit.
Carter says it stung
Athletic director Keith Carter said fans could have accepted Kiffin leaving for LSU. What angered them was how he handled the move behind closed doors.
“The problem is he tried to manipulate the players and the coaches on his way out”
He built a contender
Kiffin spent six years turning Ole Miss into a national title threat. Last season, the Rebels went 11-1 and reached the College Football Playoff for the first time.
The exit got messy
Two days after the Egg Bowl, Kiffin left for LSU. After Ole Miss refused to let him coach the playoff run, he reportedly threatened to take offensive coaches with him right away.
Fans have not moved on
About half the staff followed Kiffin to Baton Rouge, and he reportedly tried to recruit Ole Miss players too. Security has been increased for Saturday’s game.
“Simply put, the whole thing was a mess”
In short
Ole Miss fans are angry less because Kiffin left, and more because school leaders say he tried to weaken the program on his way out.
