LSU's Lane Kiffin tells Vanity Fair his recruiting of some top recruits was hindered at Ole Miss

TL;DR

Lane Kiffin revealed that his recruitment of top players at Ole Miss was impacted by concerns about the location, with recruits preferring LSU's Baton Rouge over Oxford. He emphasized that his comments were factual and not meant to disrespect Ole Miss.

Key points

Lane Kiffin discussed recruitment challenges at Ole Miss.
Recruits preferred Baton Rouge over Oxford due to location concerns.
Kiffin's comments were factual, not intended as shots at Ole Miss.

Mentioned in this story

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Football coach Lane Kiffin says some top recruits would tell him they were not interested in coming to Ole Miss while he was running the program there before his move to LSU. Kiffin discussed the concerns in a recent article in Vanity Fair. “(They would say), ‘Hey, coach, we really like you. But my grandparents aren’t letting me move to Oxford, Mississippi,’" Kiffin said, according to the magazine. “That doesn’t come up when you say Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Parents were sitting here this weekend saying the campus’ diversity feels so great: ‘It feels like there’s no segregation. And we want that for our kid because that’s the real world.'" According to the article, Kiffin clarified his remark one day later: “I just hope (my comment) comes across respectful to Ole Miss…. There are some things that I’m saying that are factual, they’re not shots.” The population of Baton Rouge, home to LSU's campus, is 52% Black and 34% white, according to 2024 census data. Oxford, home to Ole Miss, is 66% white and 26% Black. Kiffin led Ole Miss to a 50-19 record from 2020-25 before leaving for Southeastern Conference rival LSU, which offered him a seven-year contract worth about $13 million annually. Kiffin accepted the LSU job after leading Ole Miss to an 11-1 regular-season record last fall. Kiffin said at the time that his request to continue coaching the Rebels throughout the College Football Playoff had been denied. Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter has disagreed with some of Kiffin's comments. Pete Golding, who had been a defensive coordinator on Kiffin's staff, took over at Ole Miss and led the Rebels to playoff victories over and before they in a Fiesta Bowl semifinal \\_ AP college football: and

Q&A

Why did Lane Kiffin leave Ole Miss for LSU?

Lane Kiffin left Ole Miss for LSU after leading the Rebels to an 11-1 regular season, citing a seven-year contract worth about $13 million annually.

What concerns did recruits have about Ole Miss according to Kiffin?

Recruits expressed concerns about moving to Oxford, Mississippi, with some stating their grandparents were not supportive of the location, unlike Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

How do the demographics of Baton Rouge and Oxford compare?

Baton Rouge has a population that is 52% Black and 34% white, while Oxford is 66% white and 26% Black, which Kiffin noted influences recruitment.