Lane Kiffin Makes Call on Sending More New LSU Staffers Back to Ole Miss for CFP

The Rebels take on No. 11 seed Tulane in the first round of the College Football Playoff.

Lane Kiffin departed Ole Miss to take the LSU job / Ayrton Breckenridge/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Although Lane Kiffin wanted to finish the year out at Ole Miss, he will not coach the Rebels in the College Football Playoff as defensive coordinator Pete Golding takes over as permanent coach.

Following Kiffin’s decision to depart for LSU, a mad dash ensued on both sides. Kiffin wanted to bring staff members with him to Baton Rouge, La., while Ole Miss did everything possible to retain its staff and maintain continuity through a potential CFP run. Of course, neither side would retain the entire staff, with some assistants, mainly on the offensive side, leaving with Kiffin while others are staying to work under Golding.

Offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. is headed to LSU, but he will remain with Ole Miss through the postseason to help call the offense. Now, additional LSU staffers are headed back to the Rebels for the CFP. According to a report from ESPN’s Pete Thamel, tight ends coach Joe Cox, wide receivers coach George McDonald, assistant quarterbacks coach Dane Stevens and slot wide receivers coach Sawyer Jordan will join Weis at Ole Miss for the CFP run.

Per Thamel, Kiffin made the decision to allow the coaches to return in an effort to help Golding, the staff and players maximize the historic opportunity. Before Kiffin’s decision to depart for LSU, he reportedly threatened to take offensive staffers with him immediately as leverage in hopes of coaching Ole Miss through the playoff. The administration did not budge, naming Golding as his immediate replacement.

While the battle to grab assistant coaches commenced immediately and was fairly split, with Kiffin taking a lot of offensive staffers as Golding maintained a large chunk of the defense, the Rebels will have some additional familiar faces to help lead them through the CFP.

Ole Miss takes on No. 11 seed Tulane on Dec. 20 in its first-round matchup. Should the Rebels advance, they will play SEC champion and No. 3 seed Georgia in the Sugar Bowl during the CFP quarterfinal.

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