Ole Miss Unsure If Lane Kiffin's LSU-Bound Assistants Will Coach in CFP Semifinal

Six Rebels assistant coaches, including offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr., signed contracts to join Kiffin at LSU but have coached in the CFP.

Ole Miss interim coach Pete Golding's staff may look different in the Fiesta Bowl vs. Miami. / Ayrton Breckenridge/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Ole Miss Rebels' thrilling come-from-behind victory over the Georgia Bulldogs in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal may have come with a caveat of sorts, possibly in the form of continued fallout from former coach Lane Kiffin's departure. Six Rebels assistant coaches, including offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr., signed contracts to join Kiffin as assistants on his staff at LSU, but were allowed to stay behind to coach the Rebels in the CFP.

But college football's calendar beckons, as the transfer portal, which has become a quick fix roster-builder for transitioning coaches such as Kiffin, opens on Jan. 2. As such, the Rebels are reportedly uncertain of how many LSU-bound assistants the program will have on its staff in the upcoming CFP semifinal against Miami, sources told Mark Schlabach of ESPN.

Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Charlie Weis Jr., co-offensive coordinator and tight ends coach Joe Cox, wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator George McDonald, head strength and conditioning coach Nick Savage, senior analyst and pass game specialist Dane Stevens and graduate assistant Sawyer Jordan each opted to follow Kiffin to Baton Rouge.

After the Rebels' 39-34 Sugar Bowl win over Georgia, Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter was asked if these six coaches will be continuing on to the Fiesta Bowl.

“I don’t know,” Carter told Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports. “We’re going to celebrate tonight and get ready for Arizona in the morning.”

Ole Miss offensive coordinator reportedly expected to coach in Fiesta Bowl

Sources told Schlabach that some Ole Miss assistants are “pushing back” against leaving the Rebels, who have somewhat improbably won two CFP games to advance to the semifinal and the doorstep of the national championship. Weis is reportedly expected to coach in the Fiesta Bowl, according to Schlabach.

After a months-long courtship that created headlines, Kiffin opted to leave CFP-bound Ole Miss for the SEC-rival Tigers. But the Kiffin-Rebels split was not without its challenges, as Kiffin reportedly desired to keep coaching the Rebels in the CFP even if he was hired by another program, an idea that garnered reported pushback from the university. Defensive coordinator Pete Golding was named the Rebels' interim coach.

In a statement officially confirming his decision to leave Oxford, Kiffin claimed that the Rebels players—during a team meeting—were in support of his desire to continue coaching the team in the CFP, but that Carter had declined his request. Several Ole Miss players, including linebacker Suntarine Perkins, pushed back on Kiffin's statement, with Perkins writing in a social media post, “That was not the message you said in the meeting room.”

Kiffin cites “plan”, “constant communication” with Rebels

Kiffin celebrated Ole Miss's victory in a couple of social media posts following the team's victory Thursday. Then, Kiffin on Friday morning said the following in a statement to Schlabach in the aftermath of the Sugar Bowl.

“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. "What an amazing night for all Ole Miss players, coaches and fans.”

Ole Miss and Miami are scheduled to kick off in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 8 at 7:30 p.m. ET.

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