Lane Kiffin gets real about his life at Oxford as Ole Miss head coach

Lane Kiffin will enter his sixth season as head coach of Ole Miss football. He couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunity Oxford has given him, which he cherishes to this day.

While speaking to the reporters and fans gathered at the university after official spring practice, Kiffin opened up about his life-changing decision to stay at Oxford. He is used to being in a fast-paced environment, especially during his tenure at Alabama under the wings of legendary coach Nick Saban.

But Lane Kiffin says things have changed now, and it was his best decision to make Oxford his new home. The reporters present at the university asked Kiffon about his transition phase and how different the city has been compared to his past experiences. The veteran coach mentioned that he has been to several cities like Alabama and South Florida, but the crowd and passion for football at Oxford are unique.

“That’s a great question. I actually did an episode on the Pivot, the show that I think comes out next week.They were just here a week ago and this has been a big change for me coming here and now to high school and college,” Kiffin said on Saturday.

“And so, I got to see Oxford through a different lens because I was initially here just as a head coach. Then I got to see it as a parent. I got to see the value of the people here. And that really helped me change a lot too because I would say I kind of always kind of moved fast.

“I was like sitting in L.A. and South Florida and then coming here, it’s a lot slower. And that was really good for me. And so, it’s been an awesome time,” he added.

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Lane Kiffin is getting ready for the NIL-driven college athletes

The NCAA will see significant changes this season after the landmark settlement with the House finally takes effect this offseason. It is due on July 1, 2025, when the California court finally drops its verdict on the litigation. This will give football programs a significant chunk of the $20.5 million to distribute among student-athletes.

While speaking to the media last week during the final debate on the court, Lane Kiffin mentioned many uncertainties around this model. Nobody is aware of the operations and the cap that is allocated to utilize them.

Similarly, the role of NIL in player recruitment is getting even more complicated. Until a final verdict arrives, Kiffin wants teams to take a measured approach and not hurry to stay ahead in the race.