Jaxson Dart recalls connecting with Lane Kiffin in transfer process

Jaxson Dart didn’t know Lane Kiffin before his entry into the transfer portal. Little did he know, though, that he’d found a head coach that was more like him than he realized.

Dart remembered how he met Kiffin back in 2022 while appearing on ‘Andy & Ari On3’ on Thursday. He said some connections that both of them had to one coast of the country made it easier for them to come together.

“No, me and Coach Kiff met for the first time when I was in the portal,” said Dart. “You know, I think a big piece of it for him was that he had just gotten done coaching Matt Corral, who was a West Coast kid. You know, when I first got here, I was the only West Coast kid on our whole team. So I think that made the interaction a little bit easier. Plus with him having experience on the West Coast, coaching at USC, and living out there and whatnot.”

It was at that point that Dart realized how similar he and Kiffin were. That included the story of his first-ever phone call with him.

“Our first interaction was through the transfer portal. I think, the very first time that we ever talked, he was on a boat fishing in the Bahamas,” Dart said. “… Geez, I hope – or in, like, Monaco or something,” Dart then added when asked if he too would one day be fishing like Kiffin. “That’d be cool.”

Dart and Kiffin are alike as people on the field too. They’ve been among the biggest parts of a record that’s at 27-9 (.750) for the Rebels over the last three years, including an 8-2 mark this fall in what could lead to a debut berth in the College Football Playoff.

“I think, from a competitive standpoint, you know, really all he cares about is winning. I think that’s something, as a player, that you can really respect and really buy into,” Dart continued.

Few coach-quarterback combos in the country seem as suited for one another as Kiffin and Dart have been. It’s been just as successful too with what they’ve accomplished since that transfer to Oxford.

“You know, our personalities just mesh well. He’s a lot of fun, you know, on and off the field,” said Dart. “I think just the more and more time that we’ve spent together, our relationship has gotten stronger. He’s super passionate at what he does. I’ve loved playing with him.”