On Thursday Night, the Ole Miss Rebels picked up one of the biggest wins in program beating Georgia to advance to the College Football Playoff semifinals. The next several fays for Ole Miss fans should be spent reliving every big play the team made in the 4th quarter dreaming of winning a National Championship. Players like Kewan Lacy, Trinidad Chambliss, and Lucas Carneiro should be celebrated for their incredible performanced.
Instead, the team is handed another distraction in a stretch that's been more about the coaching staff and the drama than the players actually on the team.
Ole Miss staff uncertainty is the latest wrinkle in a ridiculous saga
When Lane Kiffin was exploring his options for next season, he was told that if he left Ole Miss he wouldn't be allowed to coach the team through the College Football Playoff. What wasn't clear is what would happen if staff members followed him to LSU as the vast majority of the offensive staff took jobs with the Tigers.
Ole Miss has allowed the staff to return and continue coaching the team, and it's been a massive lift as Charlie Weis Jr has done an incredible job coaching the offense. The issue is that it hasn't been pretty off the field.
Last week, a story from Ross Dellenger was released that accused the new LSU staff of tampering with the Ole Miss roster tossing shots at Lane Kiffin.
In an unprecedented situation, six LSU assistants are coaching Ole Miss in its biggest game ever.
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) December 30, 2025
Tampering is afoot, officials say. Trust is wavering.
And things could get weirder: Lane Kiffin may attend the Sugar Bowl with Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry.https://t.co/VVcuGvQX1s
Taking aim at Lane Kiffin may not have been the wisest decision for Ole Miss when after all, the offensive staff now works for him, and is taking away from LSU's efforts to build a roster for 2026.
After the game, a cryptic message from Keith Carter was shared about the future of Ole Miss' staff.
Will the six LSU-bound assistant coaches who have been coaching Ole Miss in the playoffs continue on with the Rebels to the Fiesta Bowl?
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) January 2, 2026
AD Keith Carter to @YahooSports: "I don’t know. We’re going to celebrate tonight and get ready for Arizona in the morning."
On Friday Morning, Lane Kiffin delivered a quote to ESPN that didn't make anything clearer for Ole Miss fans.
"Everything has been extremely clear and transparent between myself and Pete Golding through constant communication, including a plan all the way through this historic championship run. What an amazing night for all Ole Miss players, coaches and fans."Lane Kiffin
It's unclear if Ole Miss no longer wants the assistants in the building or if Lane Kiffin wants his staff back in Baton Rouge to recruit the Transfer Portal and start building a roster for 2026. Either way, you can see the argument from both sides as Ole Miss may not want the staffers picking at the roster while the Transfer Portal is open. Lane Kiffin frankly has no reason to care about Ole Miss' season as all that matters for him is winning at LSU, and after all the Rebels did stop him from coaching this team.
At some point, both sides need to come to a clear resolution for the future as the players are being hurt the most. Every drama filled story takes away from what the team is accomplishing leaving a black eye on everyone involved.