Major SEC coach faces backlash after Miami’s win over Ole Miss in College Football Playoff

Broadcaster Joel Klatt criticized this 50-year-old coach following the Rebels' 31-27 loss to the Miami Hurricanes

Fox Sports college football broadcaster Joel Klatt shared his sympathies for the Ole Miss Rebels after their 31-27 loss to Miami. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Miami Hurricanes secured a thrilling victory in the Fiesta Bowl on Thursday night to end one of the most tumultuous runs in college football history.

Carson Beck led a game-winning drive in the final minute to defeat the Ole Miss Rebels 31-27 and send Miami to the national championship game. The result concluded an emotional postseason for an Ole Miss roster that played the entire playoff bracket without its former head coach.

Lane Kiffin departed Oxford for the head coaching vacancy at LSU on Nov. 30 and left the program in a state of limbo during its historic run. The Rebels rallied under interim leadership to defeat Tulane and Georgia before falling just short against Miami in the semifinals.

The sight of Ole Miss players fighting until the final whistle while their former leader recruited for a division rival sparked immediate conversation across the sport.

The focus shifted quickly from the action on the field to the circumstances surrounding the Ole Miss sideline once the clock hit zero. Prominent voices in college football media wasted little time addressing the dynamic between the players who stayed to fight and the coach who chose to leave.

Fox Sports analyst criticizes Lane Kiffin for abandoning Ole Miss

Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt offered a poignant reaction to the scene in Glendale immediately following the game. Klatt directed his attention to the players who navigated the postseason turmoil rather than the X's and O's of the final drive. He praised the leadership within the Rebels locker room while offering a sharp critique of Kiffin’s decision to exit before the playoffs concluded in a social media post.

"Hard not to feel bad for those Ole Miss players," Klatt said. "They fought their guts out and stayed together as their coach abandoned them before the biggest games of their lives. Tip of the cap to Chambliss and all of the leaders of that team!"

LSU Tigers head coach Lane Kiffin has been criticized by much of the college football media for how he's handled his departure from Ole Miss. | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

The sentiment resonated with many who watched quarterback Trinidad Chambliss nearly will his team to victory. Chambliss threw for 277 yards and gave the Rebels a late lead before Miami responded. The grit displayed by the roster stood in stark contrast to the administrative chaos caused by the coaching changes.

Klatt was not the only analyst to take aim at Kiffin’s handling of the transition. Former Texas A&M and Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher criticized Kiffin earlier in the week for pulling assistant coaches away from the team. Fisher called the decision to mandate that assistants join him at LSU immediately rather than coaching the playoff run "selfish" and "stupid" during an appearance on the ACC Network.

Hard not to feel bad for those Ole Miss players…they fought their guts out and stayed together as their coach abandoned them before the biggest games of their lives

Tip of the cap to Chambliss and all of the leaders of that team!

— Joel Klatt (@joelklatt) January 9, 2026

Fisher argued that Kiffin prioritized his new role over the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity his former players earned. While coordinators like Charlie Weis Jr. stayed to call plays, several position coaches were absent for the semifinal matchup. The criticism highlights a growing frustration with how the coaching movement impacts the expanded playoff format.

The Hurricanes will face the winner of the Oregon-Indiana matchup in the College Football Playoff National Championship on Jan. 19.