Lane Kiffin’s Story About His Departure Contradicted By Ole Miss AD & Players

Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter and several players disputed former head coach Lane Kiffin‘s departure story as he joined LSU earlier this week.

Kiffin, who led the Rebels to an 11-1 overall record and a playoff berth, announced Monday he would be joining the Tigers after weeks of speculation. Kiffin said he thought he was going to be allowed to coach the team in the playoffs before taking the job in Baton Rouge.

“It wasn’t until Sunday, that’s why things kept getting pushed back, that I was told that we couldn’t keep this thing in place and coach the playoffs,” Kiffin said in his LSU introduction press conference. “So I’d already made the decision at that point and informed them Saturday night that this is what we were going to do.”

Carter disputed this claim, appearing as a guest on SuperTalk Mississippi.

“There’s been a lot of things he’s said publicly that I’m not sure are totally accurate,” Carter said. “I think that both coach and his representation knew several weeks ago that coaching in the playoffs was not going to be an option if he was not the Ole Miss head coach.”

Kiffin also released a statement on X, saying his request to coach Ole Miss in the postseason “was denied by Keith Carter” and claimed the team also requested him to stay.

Carter once again challenged these claims.

“I don’t think the way he portrayed that meeting was accurate,” he said. “There was a lot of push back to him leaving. It was really one of those things where these guys knew they needed coaches to coach the game.

“I think begging for him to stay is certainly an overstatement.”

And Carter isn’t the only one to weigh in on Kiffin’s departure story. Several Ole Miss players, including linebacker Suntarine Perkins, responded to his former coach’s statement on X.

“That was not the message you said in the meeting room,” Perkins wrote. “Everyone that was in there can vouch on this.”

Offensive lineman Brycen Sanders also took to social media to refute Kiffin’s claims, saying “everyone that was in that room would disagree.”

Ole Miss will find out its opponents in the College Football Playoffs on Sunday. Defensive coordinator Pete Golding will take over as head coach, the team announced.