The messy departure of new LSU head football coach Lane Kiffin from Ole Miss has taken another turn, after he cancelled a scheduled appearance on ESPN's flagship College GameDay programme, prompting a fresh wave of mockery from furious Rebels supporters.
No-Show Sparks Fan Fury and Jibes
Kiffin, who recently agreed a blockbuster $90 million deal to leave the College Football Playoff-bound Ole Miss Rebels for their SEC rival LSU, was due to appear on the show ahead of the Alabama-Georgia SEC championship game. He pulled out at the last minute, posting online that he had to remain in Baton Rouge to finalise matters with players and a coach.
The move was seen by many as Kiffin bailing on another commitment, a theme that has defined his controversial exit. Ole Miss fans quickly took to social media platform X to voice their scorn. "Bailing on a commitment? Shocker," wrote one critic. Another added, "He hasn't even started and he's already backing out of commitments. Who would have ever guessed?" Several speculated he was avoiding tough questions about his switch to a conference adversary.
Controversial Exit Claims Publicly Refuted
The cancellation follows a tumultuous week that began with Kiffin's introductory press conference at LSU. There, the 50-year-old coach made startling claims about his final hours in Oxford, Mississippi. He alleged that angry Rebels fans attempted to run his car off the road while he and his teenage son were driving to the airport on Sunday afternoon, heading for Baton Rouge.
However, these claims have been directly and publicly refuted by the Mississippi Department of Public Safety. A spokeswoman for the agency stated that officers "have no record of an automobile trying to push the football coach's car off the roadway" and confirmed there had been "no incidents" during the journey. The Oxford Police Department also confirmed it received no related calls or complaints.
Authorities did confirm that Kiffin had a safety escort from the Mississippi Highway Patrol for his airport trip, contradicting the implied chaos of his account.
Player Backlash and Disputed Narrative
Further complicating Kiffin's narrative of his exit are public rebuttals from his former Ole Miss players. Kiffin had stated he wished to continue coaching the Rebels through their playoff campaign, a request denied by Athletic Director Keith Carter, and claimed the team supported this wish.
This version of events has been disputed by multiple players on social media. Offensive lineman Brycen Sanders quoted Kiffin's statement and countered, "'Despite the team asking me to keep coaching.' I think everyone that was in that room would disagree." Teammates including Paris Wilkins, Jayden Williams, and linebacker Suntarine Perkins supported this, with Perkins stating, "That was not the message you said in the meeting room. Everybody that was in there can vouch on this."
The series of events paints a picture of one of the most contentious coaching changes in recent college football history, leaving Kiffin's relationship with his former program and its fans in tatters as he begins his lucrative new chapter with the LSU Tigers.
