Cam Newton defends Ole Miss in Lane Kiffin departure saga

Cam Newton went to bat for Ole Miss against Lane Kiffin as the coach departed for LSU this weekend. Kiffin has the right to do what he wants, per Newton. 

But when it comes to defending Ole Miss, Newton was a staunch defender. He was in the Rebels’ camp when it came to not allowing Kiffin to coach the team for the remainder of the season.

“So this is the perspective that I need to get everybody who has been following this issue or this particular situation. What Lane Kiffin did, was in the best interest of Lane Kiffin,” Newton said on First Take. “I don’t have an issue with that, but this is what I have an issue (with). When a kid transfers or goes into the transfer portal. Now we’re looking at that kid to say, ‘Oh, why is he going to different schools? Why is he doing this?’ Well, coaches have been going into the transfer portal since the beginning of time. Ole Miss, Lane Kiffin, LSU, is in essence, the same thing we all have to do: what’s best for our careers? 

“Lane Kiffin in this dynamic and not being able to coach the team is a little different than what another coach is dealing with as well. It’s insider trading. It’s tampering. You have an opportunity to lure not only players, but staff members and key members that you will necessarily strip, and I mean strip, an organization, a school for everything that they have, and now you turn into an instant foe overnight.” 

Kiffin is surely going to be hated by most Ole Miss fans at this point. The Rebels were 11-1 for the first time and are set to make the College Football playoff for the first time in program history as well.

“So why in the world would I allow you to have the ability to coach a team, take everything that we have as a team, and you will have an opportunity to play us as well,” Newton said. “No, no, no, no. I think what Ole Miss did was something that was needed to do.

It’s just basic business practice, but with Lane’s decision, everything has a cause and effect. We’ve seen this situation happen, and it looks like Lane Kiffin wanted to have his cake and eat it too. And you don’t get to do that in this type of situation. And that’s the reality of everything.”