Lane Kiffin vows to set better example, loses weight

Ole Miss football coach Lane Kiffin wants to lead by example this season. After going 5-5 in his first season at Ole Miss, Kiffin is looking for any edge he can create for his team. The second-year coach has dropped 30 pounds over the offseason in an effort to create accountability with his players.

“I saw a picture of me at the bowl game last year and told the players I looked like an anaconda that had swallowed a deer and the deer got stuck in its neck,” Kiffin told ESPN’s Chris Low on Sunday.

Creating accountability

Kiffin says that he felt hypocritical asking his team to commit to taking care of their bodies while he was overweight. The self-deprecating coach realized the error of his ways when he thought back to postseason meetings.

“Here I am in postseason meetings back in January telling my offensive linemen and other guys that they needed to eat better, lose weight, get in better shape, and I looked like a whale,” said Kiffin.

In addition to his desire to lead, there was also an element of embarrassment that led to change. The photo Kiffin picked out from last season’s Outback Bowl win featured his father, Monte.

“My dad’s 81 and still looks great, and then there I was,” said Kiffin.

At 46, Kiffin kickstarted his offseason weight loss by going on a strict diet. He began Pilates and yoga over the spring and started running again. The 6-foot-3 coach started his journey at 245 pounds but is now close to 210.

“Gotta keep it up, because when I look at myself from last season, it was disgusting,” said Kiffin, who used to be a dedicated runner.

Motivating others

The returning players found the whole thing entertaining. Starting quarterback Matt Corral says that the transformation helped motivate the team.

“We really saw his weight change,” Corral told ESPN. “He dropped a lot of weight since January, and as players and seeing him go through that process, it just makes us more disciplined and helps us buy into the values and principles of the organization.”

The entire coaching staff is now on the hook in Kiffin’s new system of accountability. He took a group of assistant coaches, including offensive coordinator/quarterback coach Jeff Lebby, to have their body mass index measured. The results suggested that Lebby should lose 88 pounds to reach an ideal BMI.

“88 pounds?” asked Lebby. “That’s a 12-year-old.”

The trip led to a staff-wide weight loss competition running between now and the Sept. 6 opener against Louisville in Atlanta. Each coach put $200 into the pool according to ESPN.

More accountability

Another part of the Rebels’ commitment to accountability involved getting the COVID-19 vaccine. Kiffin reported earlier Sunday that the team reached a 100% vaccination rate among current players, coaches and staff.

“It’s pretty amazing and great motivation for our fans and the state,” Kiffin told ESPN.

Ole Miss is the first SEC team to report 100% vaccination rate, a feat Kiffin attributes to his players’ commitment to the season.

Image courtesy of Sean Gardner/Getty Images