Ole Miss face the worrying prospect of losing multiple coaches ahead of their college football playoff semifinal, as they prepare to join Lane Kiffin in his new job at LSU.
The Rebels have not won a national championship since 1962 but are now just two games away, despite the chaos of former head coach Kiffin deciding to sign a $91 million contract with the Tigers.
An agreement was reached to allow multiple coaches to stay with Ole Miss for the game against Georgia on New Year’s Day, but ESPN is now reporting that they could be forced to head to LSU instead of staying for the Miami game next week.
Offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr, tight ends coach Joe Cox, wide receivers coach George McDonald and running backs coach Kevin Smith have all signed contracts with LSU, but were on the sideline for Ole Miss this week.
With the transfer portal opening on Friday, it is all systems go for LSU and the new Kiffin era, and it remains unclear which program the in-limbo coaches will be with this week.
An Ole Miss source has even told ESPN: ‘There are going to be some fireworks. We always knew this was going to be a possibility.’
Lane Kiffin opted against watching his former team and instead attended LSU basketball
Ole Miss’ sideline celebrates – but it could look very different by the Miami game next weekend
Another source told ESPN that the initial expectation on the LSU-bound coaches was that they would be in Baton Rouge this week to host prospective players on campus.
Ole Miss were underdogs heading into their quarterfinal match-up with Georgia on Thursday, but they cemented an historic 39-34 win in the Sugar Bowl.
Next up they will face No 10 Miami – as favorite – with a place in the national championship at stake for the winner.
It is understood the coaches are extremely keen to stay with Ole Miss for the playoff run, given they are two wins away from creating history with the program.
Kiffin himself had initially been keen to remain in charge of the Rebels for the postseason, but he was refused the opportunity by Ole Miss bosses in an ugly break-up.
At the time, he said on social media that his request had been denied, adding that the decision had come ‘despite the team also asking him to allow me to keep coaching them so they could better maintain their high level of performance’.
Pete Golding is potentially going to lose multiple members of his staff to LSU before the game
That was later refuted by some of the players, who have rallied behind new head coach Pete Golding.
‘Everything has been extremely clear and transparent between myself and Pete Golding through constant communication, including a plan all the way through this historic championship run,’ Kiffin told ESPN on Friday.
‘What an amazing night for all Ole Miss players, coaches and fans.’
Kiffin was at one point expected to be in the stands to watch his former team take on Georgia in the Sugar Bowl, but he ultimately opted to stay in Louisiana and instead watch the school’s women’s basketball team.
