Ole Miss Survived Kiffin Coaching Chaos to Make CFP Semifinal

Ole Miss has had arguably one of the most tumultuous months in all of college football as it has juggled a postseason run, the transfer portal, and a slew of assistant coaching departures in the wake of Lane Kiffin’s abrupt exit.

But that chaos didn’t stop the Rebels from making it to their first College Football Playoff semifinals in program history. They’ll face off against No. 10 Miami at the Fiesta Bowl on Thursday night for a spot in their first CFP national championship.

Earlier this week, head coach Pete Golding told reporters he believes the players have sent a message with their performance that the coaches who left them amid their playoff run were replaceable. “But I don’t have shit to say to anybody else,” he said.

It all started on Nov. 30, when Lane Kiffin’s abrupt departure from Ole Miss ahead of their College Football Playoff run threw the entire coaching staff into chaos. 

Ole Miss quickly replaced him with Golding, the Rebels’ then–defensive coordinator, which provided some immediate stability. But throughout the postseason, Kiffin and LSU have been working to poach assistants—several of whom have agreed to take jobs at LSU. As a result, these coaches have been juggling two jobs: recruiting for LSU while coaching Ole Miss in the Playoff. 

A few left Ole Miss during the week in between their quarterfinal win against Georgia on New Year’s Day and their semifinal matchup against Miami. Tight ends coach/co-offensive coordinator Joe Cox and receivers coach/passing game coordinator George McDonald, for example, have already left for LSU. 

“Do they want to be here? You’re damn right they do,” Golding told reporters. “But again, the situation that it is—they got a job to do, and they need to build a team where they’re at.”

Meanwhile, others pulled double duty. Offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr.—considered one of the Rebels’ most valuable assets—stayed with Ole Miss for the Miami game, but he still had to fulfill obligations at LSU. Weis, along with running backs coach Kevin Smith, who will also eventually leave the Rebels for LSU, reportedly made a brief trip to Baton Rouge on Monday for recruiting visits, returning to Oxford that night to continue game preparation. 

As all this plays out, the Rebels are also working behind the scenes with their NIL collective to secure next year’s roster of coaches. Golding has already announced multiple new hires, including several former LSU employees: former interim head coach Frank Wilson, former associate AD of football Austin Thomas, and director of player personnel Jai Choudhary.

As is the case with all FBS programs, Ole Miss is simultaneously deep in recruiting mode with the transfer portal. And that’s not just to recruit players but also to retain current ones. Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, for example, has signed a conditional offer to remain with the Rebels next year if the NCAA grants him a waiver to play a sixth season. 

But for now, the focus for the players is Thursday night’s semifinal—and, in the words of Golding, the coaches who have stuck around and will be “running them out of the tunnel.”