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Mississippi's Confederate Past a Reason Why Lane Kiffin Left Ole Miss
Kiffin said elite recruits and their families were turned off by Ole Miss’s racial history, while LSU’s diversity helped persuade prospects.
- On Monday, LSU head football coach Lane Kiffin told Vanity Fair that the University of Mississippi's racial history and Confederate symbols hindered his ability to attract top recruits during his six seasons there.
- Confederate flags were displayed at Rebels home games until 1997, and the school sidelined Colonel Reb mascot in 2003; the name Ole Miss itself carries historical ties to slavery.
- Kiffin reported that elite prospects frequently declined offers, telling him, "Hey, coach, we really like you. But my grandparents aren't letting me move to Oxford, Mississippi."
- Parents now praise LSU's campus diversity, with Kiffin noting, "It feels like there's no segregation." Baton Rouge is 51% Black, compared to about 26% in Oxford.
- Kiffin clarified one day later that his comments were "factual" rather than "shots" at Ole Miss, though LSU itself maintains a history linked to the Civil War.
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Lane Kiffin says Ole Miss' racial history made it difficult to recruit Black football players
The already contentious relationship between Lane Kiffin and the University of Mississippi just got a little thornier.In an interview with Vanity Fair for a profile published on Monday, May 11, the first-year LSU coach, who spent the previous six seasons at Ole Miss, said he faced difficulties attracting top recruits to the Rebels due to the university’s sordid racial history and the longtime connection it had with Confederate symbols.Kiffin tol…
·Chicago, United States
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources36
Leaning Left7Leaning Right5Center18Last UpdatedBias Distribution60% Center
Bias Distribution
- 60% of the sources are Center
60% Center
L 23%
C 60%
R 17%
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