7 days ago
LSU football head coach Lane Kiffin was the main character of the offseason's coaching carousel. With Kiffin's Ole Miss team set for a College Football Playoff run, Kiffin accepted the LSU job, making an unprecedented move. Ole Miss promoted Pete Golding and Kiffin didn't coach Ole Miss in the playoff.
Kiffin's exit was messy. Rumors about Kiffin's future swirled for weeks as Ole Miss was in the midst of an historic season. Florida and LSU were both after Kiffin as Ole Miss offered its own contract extension. The longer Kiffin went without signing the Ole Miss offer, the more evident it became that he was leaving.
Kiffin's depature for one of Ole Miss's top rivals, LSU, created a complicated situation. Most of Kiffin's offensive staff was following him to LSU, but those same ***** istants stayed on to coach Ole Miss in the playoff. Kiffin wanted to coach the playoff and plead his case to Ole Miss AD Keith Carter, which only made the situation messier as it dragged on.
Speaking to ESPN on Thursday, Kiffin said he has some regrets about the way the saga played out.
"I wish I would have gone in when I met with Keith and said, 'I've made the decision to go,' I wish I would have just said, 'Hey, I'd like to coach the team,' and he'd say, 'No.' And I'd say, 'Hey, OK, I appreciate it.' [I wish I'd] move on [and] never even discussed it again," Kiffin said to ESPN.
#playoff #wish #espn #Football
Kiffin's exit was messy. Rumors about Kiffin's future swirled for weeks as Ole Miss was in the midst of an historic season. Florida and LSU were both after Kiffin as Ole Miss offered its own contract extension. The longer Kiffin went without signing the Ole Miss offer, the more evident it became that he was leaving.
Kiffin's depature for one of Ole Miss's top rivals, LSU, created a complicated situation. Most of Kiffin's offensive staff was following him to LSU, but those same ***** istants stayed on to coach Ole Miss in the playoff. Kiffin wanted to coach the playoff and plead his case to Ole Miss AD Keith Carter, which only made the situation messier as it dragged on.
Speaking to ESPN on Thursday, Kiffin said he has some regrets about the way the saga played out.
"I wish I would have gone in when I met with Keith and said, 'I've made the decision to go,' I wish I would have just said, 'Hey, I'd like to coach the team,' and he'd say, 'No.' And I'd say, 'Hey, OK, I appreciate it.' [I wish I'd] move on [and] never even discussed it again," Kiffin said to ESPN.
#playoff #wish #espn #Football
7 days ago
Oklahoma Sooners head coach Brent Venables has long been viewed as one of the brightest defensive minds in college football. Since taking over in Norman, Venables has had to find the right balance between overseeing the entire program and continuing to lead the defense he built his reputation on.
When Venables first took over as head coach, Ted Roof called the plays defensively. It has been rumored that Venables took over play calling in Year 2, but nothing has been confirmed on that front. Then in Year 3, he hired Zac Alley to call the defense. Alley left after one season to become the defensive coordinator for the West Virginia Mountaineers. So, Venables returned to calling the defense. It might not be a coincidence that the two seasons Venables allegedly called the defense, Oklahoma went 10-3 both years, whereas the two years he didn't, the team went 6-7 both years.
Venables' ability to balance his responsibilities as a head coach while still leading the defense has earned respect throughout the SEC, including from Ole Miss Rebels head coach Pete Golding. He faced a similar transition after serving as Ole Miss' defensive coordinator before being promoted to head coach following the regular season. During SEC media days, Golding revealed that Venables was the first person he reached out to for advice on managing both roles.
"He was my first phone call," Golding said via OU Nightly. "There's so much respect for him and the job that he's done… I knew that he had been through it. Didn't do it in Year 1 and did it in Year 2. Brought in the protege and didn't do it in Year 3... He's like, 'look, man, ******* ody's going to call it like you. It's your system. You've done a great job.'"
Venables has spent his career building elite defenses, and Oklahoma's recent success has shown the value of his direct involvement. While balancing play calling with being a head coach is a difficult challenge, Venables has found a way to make it work.
#defense #didn 't
When Venables first took over as head coach, Ted Roof called the plays defensively. It has been rumored that Venables took over play calling in Year 2, but nothing has been confirmed on that front. Then in Year 3, he hired Zac Alley to call the defense. Alley left after one season to become the defensive coordinator for the West Virginia Mountaineers. So, Venables returned to calling the defense. It might not be a coincidence that the two seasons Venables allegedly called the defense, Oklahoma went 10-3 both years, whereas the two years he didn't, the team went 6-7 both years.
Venables' ability to balance his responsibilities as a head coach while still leading the defense has earned respect throughout the SEC, including from Ole Miss Rebels head coach Pete Golding. He faced a similar transition after serving as Ole Miss' defensive coordinator before being promoted to head coach following the regular season. During SEC media days, Golding revealed that Venables was the first person he reached out to for advice on managing both roles.
"He was my first phone call," Golding said via OU Nightly. "There's so much respect for him and the job that he's done… I knew that he had been through it. Didn't do it in Year 1 and did it in Year 2. Brought in the protege and didn't do it in Year 3... He's like, 'look, man, ******* ody's going to call it like you. It's your system. You've done a great job.'"
Venables has spent his career building elite defenses, and Oklahoma's recent success has shown the value of his direct involvement. While balancing play calling with being a head coach is a difficult challenge, Venables has found a way to make it work.
#defense #didn 't
8 days ago
Pete Golding was in attendance at SEC Media Days on Wednesday and spoke with reporters.
He gave a passionate speech about tampering in college football, but his more interesting answer was about how he approached quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and running back Kewan Lacy about staying with the Rebels after former head coach Lane Kiffin infamously left for LSU.
Golding’s quote was targeted at Kiffin, but more in the eyes of creating a legacy and what it means for the players’ future, per ESPN’s David Hale.
“Football’s gonna end. What are you going to use? You gotta use an alumni base to be able to get you a job. Where are you gonna bring your kids to? What jersey are they wearing?
Y’all two created a legacy in one season that’s gonna be hard for anybody to overtake, and for what’s going on now, for Coach Kiffin to leave — go Google Lane Kiffin. I had them both do it in my office. Google Lane Kiffin, the dude they’d have built a statue of here three days ago. Google his name right now. They wouldn’t ******* on him if he was on fire.
#lane #golding
He gave a passionate speech about tampering in college football, but his more interesting answer was about how he approached quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and running back Kewan Lacy about staying with the Rebels after former head coach Lane Kiffin infamously left for LSU.
Golding’s quote was targeted at Kiffin, but more in the eyes of creating a legacy and what it means for the players’ future, per ESPN’s David Hale.
“Football’s gonna end. What are you going to use? You gotta use an alumni base to be able to get you a job. Where are you gonna bring your kids to? What jersey are they wearing?
Y’all two created a legacy in one season that’s gonna be hard for anybody to overtake, and for what’s going on now, for Coach Kiffin to leave — go Google Lane Kiffin. I had them both do it in my office. Google Lane Kiffin, the dude they’d have built a statue of here three days ago. Google his name right now. They wouldn’t ******* on him if he was on fire.
#lane #golding
8 days ago
There's been no shortage of news from SEC media days. Things continue with Texas A&M football's representatives taking the stand Wednesday to answer questions.
Aggies linebacker Daymion Sanford, safety Marcus Ratcliffe and quarterback Marcel Reed join head coach Mike Elko in Tampa Bay, Fla. A&M has improved every year under Elko, winning 11 games and making the College Football Playoff in 2025.
Alabama, Florida and Ole Miss representatives will also be available. Although the Crimson Tide is not the perennial powerhouse it was under Nick Saban, head coach Kalen DeBoer returns a talented roster led by wide receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams. The Gators and Rebels are both under new leadership, with the former headed by Jon Sumrall and the latter by Pete Golding.
Here are live updates from SEC media days.
#coach #texas #aggies
Aggies linebacker Daymion Sanford, safety Marcus Ratcliffe and quarterback Marcel Reed join head coach Mike Elko in Tampa Bay, Fla. A&M has improved every year under Elko, winning 11 games and making the College Football Playoff in 2025.
Alabama, Florida and Ole Miss representatives will also be available. Although the Crimson Tide is not the perennial powerhouse it was under Nick Saban, head coach Kalen DeBoer returns a talented roster led by wide receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams. The Gators and Rebels are both under new leadership, with the former headed by Jon Sumrall and the latter by Pete Golding.
Here are live updates from SEC media days.
#coach #texas #aggies
9 days ago
Lane Kiffin, Pete Golding, Ole Miss and LSU are all major topics at SEC Media Days and neither program nor coach have even taken the stage yet.
Let's take a trip down memory lane and see if we can jog the memory of Mr. Harper just six short month ago. Minutes after the defeat in the CFP semifinals to the Miami Hurricanes, Harper said that Ole Miss was "not going backwards, only going forward." Don't take my word for it, here's the receipt:
So what's forward from a last second defeat in the semifinals? Well that would be, at minimum, an appearance in the CFP national championship.
Tim Tebow, Paul Finebaum and Roman Harper were joined by former standout Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel on the SEC Nation set at media days and Daniels was talking about the sky-high expectations of the Ole Miss fan base because they were 18 seconds away from a natty.
It was at this moment that Harper interjected and said, "They're not winning a natty.. they're not, they're Ole Miss. You'll see, you'll learn."
#harper #lane
Let's take a trip down memory lane and see if we can jog the memory of Mr. Harper just six short month ago. Minutes after the defeat in the CFP semifinals to the Miami Hurricanes, Harper said that Ole Miss was "not going backwards, only going forward." Don't take my word for it, here's the receipt:
So what's forward from a last second defeat in the semifinals? Well that would be, at minimum, an appearance in the CFP national championship.
Tim Tebow, Paul Finebaum and Roman Harper were joined by former standout Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel on the SEC Nation set at media days and Daniels was talking about the sky-high expectations of the Ole Miss fan base because they were 18 seconds away from a natty.
It was at this moment that Harper interjected and said, "They're not winning a natty.. they're not, they're Ole Miss. You'll see, you'll learn."
#harper #lane
1 month ago
On Tuesday morning, Ackerman (Miss.) Choctaw County four-star defensive lineman Ben'Jarvius Shumaker flipped his commitment from Ole Miss to Colorado.
The move came as a surprise, as on Monday, Shumaker announced that his recruitment was shut down and that he was locked in with the Rebels.
Now, the blue-chipper is saying he's back with Ole Miss. He released a statement on Tuesday evening to announce that he's re-locking in with Pete Golding and the Rebels.
"First and foremost, I want to thank God, my family, and every coach and program that has invested time, energy, and belief in me throughout this recruiting process. The relationships I have built and the opportunities I have been given are something I will never take for granted. After careful thought, prayer, and conversations with my family, I have decided to remain committed to Ole Miss and officially shut down my recruitment," Shumaker wrote on X.
"I apologize for any confusion that may have come over the last several hours. This process has reaffirmed for me that Ole Miss is where I am meant to be. I believe in the vision for the program, the relationships my family and I have built in Oxford, and the opportunity to develop both on and off the field. Thank you to everyone who has supported me throughout this journey. I am excited for the future, ready to get to work, and proud to call the state of Mississippi and Ole Miss home."
The move came as a surprise, as on Monday, Shumaker announced that his recruitment was shut down and that he was locked in with the Rebels.
Now, the blue-chipper is saying he's back with Ole Miss. He released a statement on Tuesday evening to announce that he's re-locking in with Pete Golding and the Rebels.
"First and foremost, I want to thank God, my family, and every coach and program that has invested time, energy, and belief in me throughout this recruiting process. The relationships I have built and the opportunities I have been given are something I will never take for granted. After careful thought, prayer, and conversations with my family, I have decided to remain committed to Ole Miss and officially shut down my recruitment," Shumaker wrote on X.
"I apologize for any confusion that may have come over the last several hours. This process has reaffirmed for me that Ole Miss is where I am meant to be. I believe in the vision for the program, the relationships my family and I have built in Oxford, and the opportunity to develop both on and off the field. Thank you to everyone who has supported me throughout this journey. I am excited for the future, ready to get to work, and proud to call the state of Mississippi and Ole Miss home."
