Anonymous SEC Coaches Call Out Lane Kiffin And ‘Inconsistent’ Ole Miss

Criticism surrounds controversial coach’s inability to get the Rebels to the College Football Playoff.

We’ve reached the point of the college football offseason where anonymous polls are being published, and it appears Lane Kiffin and the Ole Miss Rebels have rubbed some folks the wrong way.

Kiffin has done a remarkable job at Ole Miss since taking over in 2020, having won 10 or more games in three of the last four seasons with an overall record of 44-18. Consistent winning has been big for the program, but Kiffin has also been an incredibly important piece in building a legitimate culture in Oxford and has made the Rebels more relevant than they ever have been.

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The controversial Kiffin, who turned 50 earlier this month, was among the first Power Four coaches to go all in with the transfer portal, adapting to the modern game and candidly speaking about NIL. However, he has yet to make the College Football Playoff.

Lane Kiffin isn’t beloved by all. (Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images)

With the Rebels re-tooling their depth chart yet again this offseason and filling the void left by first-round NFL Draft pick Jaxson Dart, a couple of coaches around the league have taken the situation as a moment to throw shade Ole Miss’ way, via Athlon Sports’ anonymous poll.

“The first program in the league that went all-in on portal players to take them to a playoff bid went bust,” a coach said. “Now what? [Austin] Simmons is talented but unpolished, and it’s going to take some time to develop him.”

Ole Miss lost one too many games a season ago to miss out on the CFP. The Rebels’ early home loss to Kentucky was the biggest resume destroyer, but another coach circled the defeat at Florida late in the season as the biggest red flag.

“They’re one of the best programs in the country at evaluating the portal, and they’ve done a very good job integrating that talent and winning right away, but this is still an inconsistent program,” another SEC coach said. “The loss at Florida last year is an example of why Kiffin isn’t considered an elite coach.”

The term “inconsistent” seems a bit harsh given that Ole Miss has had back-to-back seasons with double-digit win totals, including a program-record 11 in 2023. But until Kiffin can get the Rebels to play for an SEC title in Atlanta or a ticket to the CFP, the critiques will continue to flow.