Lane Kiffin reveals his approach to preparing for new Oklahoma offensive coordinator

As Ole Miss prepares to take on Oklahoma, head coach Lane Kiffin needs to deal with a unique challenge. The Sooners made a change at offensive coordinator, calling into question what the offense could look like for Oklahoma.

When asked about the change and how it might change his approach to preparing for the game, Kiffin explained that it’s impossible to predict how the move will change the offense. So, it’s not practical to change his approach.

“There’s no way to predict that,” Lane Kiffin said. “Usually they don’t change a whole lot when someone’s been there, and was the co-coordinator already. Even if there is, you can’t figure it out. There’s no magic formula to figure out what they’re thinking.”

After Jeff Lebby took the Mississippi State job, Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables hired Seth Littrell to replace him. However, as the team has struggled offensively, particularly in SEC play, Venables made the decision to make another change at coordinator. Now, tight ends coach and co-offensive coordinator Joe Jon Finley is going to be calling the plays.

Notably, Finley was on Kiffin’s staff at Ole Miss for one season, where he was an offensive assistant. He also spent multiple seasons on Lebby’s staff at Oklahoma.

“It’s not like Joe Jon was our coordinator here,” Kiffin said. “He was the tight end coach. He’s never called plays. So, it’s not like there’s any film to go watch when he called plays.”

In 2024, Oklahoma is 107th in the country in scoring offense, averaging just 22.1 points per game. That mark is 15th in the SEC this season out of 16 teams. In Oklahoma’s four SEC games this season, the Sooners are averaging 13.5 points per game.

Oklahoma has also been shuffling its quarterbacks, at one point benching Jackson Arnold for freshman Michael Hawkins. Now, Arnold is set to start again against Ole Miss.

Lane Kiffin downplays familiarity with Joe Jon Finley ahead of Oklahoma game

While new Oklahoma play caller Joe Jon Finley did spend the 2020 season on Lane Kiffin’s staff at Ole Miss, Kiffin downplayed how that factors into their upcoming game.

“I don’t think that really matters. That’s kind of one of those things I can understand why you’d think that would mean a lot. He didn’t call plays here. He’s got a different situation, obviously, than there. He was our tight end coach here,” Kiffin said.

“So, I don’t think that him having worked here before would help us at all figuring out what he’s gonna do, and with only a week to call plays. Usually people just add a play here or there but you stay with the same system. You can’t reinvent the system in six days.”

Ole Miss and Oklahoma are currently scheduled to play on Saturday at 12:00 p.m. EST.