Mississippi AD, players and state officials say KIFFIN’s account about his departure is inaccurate

Thursday, December 4, 2025 -The drama surrounding Lane Kiffin’s sudden exit from Ole Miss Rebels to LSU Tigers just got messier. According to Keith Carter — the Rebels’ athletic director — plus several Ole Miss players and even a state official, Kiffin’s version of how things went down simply doesn’t line up with what they claim actually happened. 

Carter said during a radio appearance that Kiffin and his team were told weeks ago that he wouldn’t be allowed to coach the Rebels in the postseason if he was leaving — directly contradicting Kiffin’s claim that he only found out early Sunday morning.

Kiffin’s farewell message on X had said he wanted to stay on for the College Football Playoff (CFP) and that the players asked him to remain. But key players pushed back hard. Offensive lineman Brycen Sanders bluntly responded: “I think everyone that was in that room would disagree.” Linebacker Suntarine Perkins echoed the sentiment: “Everybody that was in there can vouch on this.” 

Meanwhile, Carter added that while players were worried about coaching continuity, saying they “begged” Kiffin to stay — as his announcement suggested — is a clear overstatement.

As if the disagreement over the playoff was not enough, the controversy extends to Kiffin’s claim that a fan tried to run him off the road as he left for Baton Rouge. The state’s highway patrol — and even a publicly posted video from the state’s top public safety official — have denied any such incident occurred, describing the claim as unfounded.

The bottom line: what Kiffin presented as a somber, difficult farewell — framed as a decision forced by Ole Miss — is being painted by others at the school as overstated at best, and misleading at worst. The fallout leaves questions over whose version of events is accurate, and raises doubts about trust and transparency during one of college football’s biggest coaching moves.