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Steve Sarkisian, Kirby Smart take playful jabs at Lane Kiffin over role in famous group chats

ns_headshot_2024-clearby:Nick Schultz•12/06/24•

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Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin and Georgia HC Kirby Smart
© Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

The group chats involving former Nick Saban assistants have been well-documented. Multiple coaches who worked under the Alabama legend keep in touch via text – but Steve Sarkisian and Kirby Smart agreed one person has his share of fun in those chats.

“There’s multiple group chats,” Sarkisian told Laura Rutledge on the SEC Championship coaches show. “You can probably guess the one guy who stokes the fire all the time. . … He might live in Oxford.”

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Of course, Sarkisian was referring to Lane Kiffin. The Ole Miss coach has developed a strong presence on social media, showcasing his sense of humor and poking fun at fellow coaches at times. It turns out, he also does that in the group chats.

Later in the interview, Rutledge read a submitted question from a fan, who asked what SEC coach Sarkisian and Smart would give a Christmas present, and what the gift would be. Although Smart wasn’t sure he wanted to answer the question – he didn’t want to “offend him” – he picked Lane Kiffin, and he chose an appropriate gift based on what we heard about the group chat.

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“I think I would get Lane a flip phone with no texting allowed,” Smart said. “I would keep it where he couldn’t text [and] he had to call somebody. He doesn’t like doing that.”

The group chat got national attention in 2020 when then-Tennessee coach and former Alabama defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt received a text from Kiffin during his radio show. That led to a question from Paul Finebaum about it, which is when Kiffin confirmed the chat exists.

Of course, Saban is also getting more into texting now that he’s in retirement. Both Sarkisian and Smart joked those messages are becoming more and more frequent – and they both said they got one from the GOAT saying to call him.

Of course, Saban will be watching closely as two of his former assistants square off in the SEC Championship on Saturday. Georgia and Texas will vie for the league title at 4 p.m. ET on Abc.