Lane Kiffin shares key to Ole Miss' growth since his arrival

Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss’ growth certainly wasn’t easy over the course of his tenure since 2020. But after clinching his second 10-win season in three years at the school, he reflected on the growth.

In 2020, Kiffin had a team amid COVID and a 10-game season. The Rebels finished 5-5 but have only gotten better since.

Kiffin was proud of the entire program coming together amid so much change.

“Yeah, I don’t think any of that could have been predicted,” Kiffin said. “It’s been a very strange path. The first year with COVID, don’t have a chance to play non conference games and get 10 wins or something so, arguably could have been our most explosive team had it not been for COVID and then opt outs and an all-SEC schedule. 

“So you know, we’ve had a lot of change, the portal and players and our staff, you go back and look at our staff, we’ve lost the multiple coordinators, all three coordinators, on special teams we’ve lost every year and have a new guy and so just really proud of the guys coming together. That’s not easy.”

Kiffin acknowledged how the transfer portal was significant to Ole Miss’ quick turnaround, but it doesn’t work for everyone. The players have to buy into Kiffin and crew’s vision.

“About half of our significant players are new portal guys,” Kiffin said. “And that’s a credit to them to gel together. I’ve said that that system doesn’t always work or else everybody would just sign all portal guys. Everybody would sign all free agents like in professional sports. You know, it looks good on paper, sometimes they gotta gel together, they gotta buy in and they’re going to take lesser roles, and that’s hard to do. 

“So I credit our guys. It wasn’t easy along the road. Some guys aren’t even here anymore. But these ones that stayed, these ones that bought in, it really showed up.”

Kiffin is 33-15 as head coach at Ole Miss, including 10-2 this year. Two seasons ago, the Rebels won 10 games but lost the Sugar Bowl.

The New Year’s Six could be on the table once again and with a win, Kiffin could create more buzz ahead of a new SEC in 2024.

Texas and Oklahoma will come in next fall, so the competition only gets greater. What better way to keep the momentum going than to win a New Year’s Six game? Kiffin certainly has a shot.