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Lane Kiffin said in his farewell to Ole Miss post that players on the team begged athletic director Keith Carter to let him stay, but that claim is being refuted by a starting Rebel.
Kiffin said in his post that he requested to “complete a historic six seasons with this year’s team by leading Ole Miss through the playoffs,” but Carter turned it down “despite the team also asking him to allow me to continue coaching.”
Starting center Brycen Sanders called Kiffin out, citing his X post.
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Ole Miss Rebels offensive lineman Brycen Sanders during the college football game between the LSU Tigers and the Ole Miss Rebels on September 27, 2025 at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Mississippi. (Andy Altenburger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
“‘Despite the team asking me to keep coaching,’ I think anyone in that room would disagree,” Sanders wrote.
It should be noted that Sanders misquoted Kiffin, but it’s abundantly clear how some players feel about Kiffin’s departure and post.
“Let them know. Every single person,” offensive lineman Jayden Williams said in response to Sanders’ post.
Linebacker Suntarine Perkins added, “That wasn’t the message you said in the conference room. Everyone who was in there can vouch for this.”
Kiffin left the Rebels for LSU after weeks of speculation. He was introduced as the team’s head coach on Monday, a day after he was announced while boarding a private jet from Oxford.
Ole Miss Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin in the fourth quarter against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium on Nov. 2, 2024. (Nelson Chenault/Imagn Images)
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Kiffin’s offensive coordinator, Charlie Weis Jr., left Ole Miss to stay with Kiffin, but he will continue to coach Ole Miss throughout the College Football Playoff.
“We went through a lot last night with [Ole Miss athletic director] Keith Carter is trying to figure out a way to make this playoff run and be able to coach the team. And at the end of the day, it’s his decision, and I fully respect that. I understand that decision,” Kiffin told ESPN about Carter’s choice not to let him finish the season as the Rebels’ coach. “I just wish the team good luck, I wish I was coaching… I just hope they play really well and win the national championship.”
Kiffin is reportedly set to make $13 million per season with the Tigers, making him the second-highest paid college coach in the country behind Georgia’s Kirby Smart.
LSU head football coach Lane Kiffin speaks in the South Stadium Club at Tiger Stadium on December 1, 2025 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Matthew Hinton/Imagn Images)
Ole Miss defensive coordinator Pete Golding was named head coach to replace Kiffin in Oxford.
