Lane Kiffin describes differences of coaching in the SEC against other conferences

Lane Kiffin has coached in four collegiate conferences and the NFL, and nothing compares to the SEC for him. During an appearance on This Past Weekend, comedian Theo Von’s podcast, the Ole Miss head coach explained why coaching in the SEC is different from any other conference.

“There’s a saying in the SEC they coined, like, ‘It just means more.’ And it really does,” Kiffin said. “The passion in the towns for the football programs, the attention on it, and really, the play over time has been dominant. The SEC has had more draft picks, more championships, all those things. It’s just different. It’s a way of life down here.”

Kiffin has given Ole Miss fans plenty to cheer about during his five seasons in Oxford. In the past two seasons alone, Kiffin has led the Rebels to a 21-5 record and back-to-back bowl wins.

Alas, the College Football Playoff has continued to elude the Rebels. A stunning loss against Florida late last season prevented Kiffin and Co. from making their first appearance in the CFP. Despite the stumble, Kiffin still feels the love from fans.

“I was the head coach at USC. You spend time out in LA. It’s just a different world out there,” Kiffin said. “I remember, I was walking through campus, and I was like, ‘Man, I bet, like, 50, 70% of these students have no idea who I am. I’m the head coach of the football team. They got no idea who I am.’ They’re just going to school at USC, getting their education.

“Here, like 100% know who you are… You go to walk downtown, and a four-year-old is like, ‘Coach Kiffin!’ They know who you are.”

Kiffin can only hope to make fans proud next season as he looks to get over the CFP hump. It won’t be an easy task, as the Rebels will be without starting QB Jaxson Dart for the first time in three years. Dart is the program’s all-time leading passer.

QB Austin Simmons will look to fill Dart’s shoes in 2025 while guiding the team to even greater success. On3’s Andy Staples ranked Ole Miss at No. 19 in his latest preseason Top 25 rankings.

“QB Austin Simmons might be the best new starter this season, and if he is, then I have Ole Miss too low,” Staples wrote. “Lane Kiffin has raised the floor for the Rebels so much that this kind of preseason ranking probably feels like a disappointment.

“It would have felt like a compliment for most of the program’s history. But if this is where your team is when it’s “rebuilding,” then your program is in a very healthy place.”