LSU’s Lane Kiffin said Ole Miss wanted him for CFP. Not so, some say

New Louisiana State coach Lane Kiffin really wanted to stay at Mississippi until the College Football Playoff this season.

The players wanted the same thing — or at least that’s what Kiffin said in a statement Sunday announcing his decision to leave the Rebels after (almost) six seasons and join their fierce SEC rivals.

“I was hoping to complete a historic six-season run with this year’s team by leading Ole Miss through the postseason, capitalizing on the team’s incredible success and their commitment to finishing strong, and investing everything in a postseason run with guardrails in place to protect the program in all areas of concern,” Kiffin wrote.

“My request was refused by [athletic director] Keith Carter although the team also asked him to allow me to continue training them so that they could better maintain their high level of performance.

Several Mississippi players, however, have since said Kiffin misrepresented their feelings. Second-year offensive lineman Brycen Sanders is a member of the team’s leadership council, who reportedly met with Kiffin Sunday morning after the coach made his decision.

On Tuesday, Sanders reposted Kiffin’s statement on X and offered his perspective.

“‘Despite the team asking me to continue coaching,'” Sanders wrote, paraphrasing a line from Kiffin’s statement. “I think everyone in this room would disagree.”

Second-year offensive lineman PJ Wilkins shared Sanders’ message and agreed that what Kiffin said was the players’ sentiment “wasn’t said by anyone.”

Senior offensive lineman Jayden Williams also shared Sanders’ message.

“Let them know!!” Williams wrote. “Every person!!”

Junior linebacker and board member Suntarine Perkins reposted Kiffin’s statement and also disputed it.

“This is not the message you said in the boardroom,” Perkins wrote. “Everyone who was there can attest to that.”

Sanders agreed, with a “100” emoji in the comments.

Carter told ESPN that the decision not to allow Kiffin to coach during the playoffs was made after “talking with the team and spending time with them.”

“I think they understood that when someone takes a job at another place — and not just another place, but with one of our rivals and with a team that’s going to play in our stadium next year — I think that’s something that no one feels comfortable with,” Carter said.

John Talty of CBS Sports reported that while some Mississippi players supported the idea of ​​Kiffin staying with the team for the playoffs, “Ole Miss sources pushed back hard against the idea that it was a widespread sentiment.” According to Talty, several players were “ready to move on,” and some told the administration they were more concerned about maintaining their positions.

One of those coaches, defensive coordinator Pete Golding, has already been named the Rebels’ new head coach. Six others, however, signed on as members of Kiffin’s staff at LSU. Outgoing offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. got permission from Kiffin, LSU and Mississippi to return to the Rebels in the same capacity for the playoffs.

Mississippi finished the regular season at 11-1 and is No. 6 in the latest CFP rankings. The Rebels are considered a favorite for a spot in the 12-team playoff field, which will be announced Sunday.