Former Florida State and Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher has launched a scathing attack on Lane Kiffin, condemning the manner of his recent departure from Ole Miss to join LSU as "selfish" and detrimental to the student-athletes. Fisher's explosive comments come just a day before the Ole Miss Rebels face Miami in a crucial College Football Playoff (CFP) quarterfinal matchup on Thursday.
A Scathing Critique of Kiffin's Methods
Speaking on the ACC Network this Wednesday, Fisher did not mince words. "It's selfish, that's what it is. It's stupid," Fisher stated, referring to Kiffin's decision to leave Ole Miss late last year and take several assistant coaches with him to LSU. Fisher, who coached Texas A&M from 2018 to 2023 and won a national championship at Florida State, argued that Kiffin's actions were motivated by personal gain.
Fisher elaborated on his viewpoint, suggesting Kiffin expected Ole Miss to lose their playoff game. "Here's where he screwed up. He thought they're going to lose to Georgia, and the portal thing was going to be all over with," Fisher alleged. "He said, 'Oh, I'll look like a hero.' Now, he's got egg on his face because the real Lane came back out." This criticism follows Ole Miss's stunning 39-34 victory over the third-ranked Georgia Bulldogs, a win Fisher claims Kiffin did not anticipate.
Transfer Portal Turmoil Hits Ole Miss Camp
The timing of Kiffin's move has thrown the Ole Miss program into disarray during the most critical period of their season. The college football transfer portal opened on January 2 and closes on January 16, a window that now coincides with the Rebels' playoff run. Kiffin is under pressure to quickly assemble his new staff at LSU and recruit players, while Ole Miss prepares for a semifinal.
The situation has created a fractured coaching setup for the crucial game. According to ESPN reports, while offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. and running backs coach Kevin Smith will coach on Thursday night before heading to LSU, tight ends coach Joe Cox and receivers coach George McDonald are not expected to be on the sideline. Fisher vehemently opposed this inconsistency, stating, "If those guys were allowed to coach the first game, they should be allowed to coach."
Fisher's Core Argument: Protecting the Players
At the heart of Fisher's tirade is the belief that Kiffin's actions have unfairly impacted the Ole Miss players. Fisher emphasized the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity a College Football Playoff berth represents for the athletes. "Because those kids are doing something that you get one time in your life to ever do," he said passionately.
Fisher acknowledged that coaches change jobs but criticized Kiffin for altering the terms mid-stream. "But if you took them on and said they're never coming back, that's fine. You set the rules of the game. You don't change the rules in the middle of the game," Fisher argued. He concluded with a powerful sentiment: "As a coach, it's hurting the kids, and that pisses me off."
Amid this controversy, Ole Miss, a three-point underdog, will take on tenth-seeded Miami. Kiffin is unlikely to attend the game after the uproar last week regarding his potential presence at the quarterfinal. Meanwhile, the transfer portal drama continues, with reports linking quarterback Demond Williams Jr., who signed a $4 million NIL deal with Washington in December, to a possible move to LSU, prompting Washington to consider legal action.
