Lane Kiffin details John Garrison's impact on Ole Miss coaching staff

When Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin hired John Garrison in December, he was happy with the addition. Over the course of eight months, the offensive line coach has only validated Kiffin’s initial feelings.

“John is a really great offensive line coach and person and spends a ton of time with them,” Kiffin said on Thursday. I’ve known him for years. My brother actually worked with him a long time ago at Nebraska. I had him at FAU for a year before we lost him there.

“I’ve tried multiple times to get him here and wasn’t able to. So, I’m excited about how much our guys have improved up there and you’re going to see some different names playing on Saturdays too, as a result of that.”

Garrison knows his stuff. In 2022, he led the NC State O-line, which featured two All-ACC selections in Grant Gibson and Chandler Zavala. Prior to that, Garrison mentored Wolfpack standout Ikem Ekwonu, who was the first offensive player selected in the 2022 NFL Draft.

As Kiffin mentioned, Garrison also spent time at FAU. Under the guidance of Garrison in 2018, FAU’s front five allowed just 1.17 sacks per game, ranking 13th nationally. Further, the unit led Conference USA and ranked No. 14 in the FBS in rushing with 241.8 yards per contest.

Kiffin hopes to replicate the pair’s success in Oxford.

“John is one of the top coaches in the country,” Kiffin said when the program hired Garrison in December 2022. “We are always in pursuit to give our student-athletes the best in all areas, as we take the next step forward with our program here at Ole Miss.” 

It will be difficult to improve Ole Miss’ line further. The unit only allowed 1.23 sacks per outing last season, tied for 23rd-best in the country. Moreover, the group consistently created holes, propelling Ole Miss to 256.6 rushing yards per contest, ranking No. 3 nationally.

Despite the Rebels’ impressive statistics, the team struggled last season. After beginning the 2022 campaign on a seven-game win streak, Ole Miss lost five of its final six contests. Kiffin is focusing on himself before looking toward any of his fellow coaches.

“You want to coach very well and play very well,” Kiffin said earlier this month. “I know, at the end of the day, it’s about wins and losses. OK, but from a coaching standpoint, it’s about coaching really well and getting our guys to play really well, and be hard to beat.”