Mike Leach opens up on his thoughts on Lane Kiffin: 'He's a hilarious guy'

Mississippi State coach Mike Leach and Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin are two of the most colorful personalities in the SEC. Between Kiffin’s Twitter antics and Leach’s willingness to speak his mind on any topic — football or otherwise — the pair have provided endless entertainment for both fans and media.

On Thanksgiving Day, they will meet on the field for the third straight season when the Rebels and Bulldogs face off in the annual Egg Bowl rivalry. In his Monday press conference, Leach had some kind words about Kiffin, calling him “hilarious” and opened up on how he first met Lane around 20 years ago through his dad, Monte Kiffin.

“Pretty hilarious guy,” Leach said. “I’ve known him a long time. I’ve know him since he was — I’m trying to think, because I knew Monte — I met Lane through Monte, who (Lane) I think was the (graduate assistant) for Pete Carrol at the time. Just a good, sharp coach. Good football family. Dedicated. Just focused on the game. Hilarious guy. Fun at meetings.

“You go to these meetings and I know you guys may think they’re really exciting and you’re really missing out on something and if you can get the legislation across where you can go to a lot of them instead of me, I’d be happy to trade places with ya. Not really trade places, but more like you go and I don’t. I think he kind of brightens and freshens it up a little bit. He’s fun to hang out with in the meetings.”

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Lane Kiffin and Mike Leach both took over at their current schools in 2020, with Kiffin coming out victorious in the Egg Bowl the past two years. However, they also met in 2013 when Kiffin was at USC and Leach at Washington State, with Leach’s Cougars eking out a 10-7 win.

This year, the Rebels enter the Egg Bowl having lost three of their past four games, while Mississippi State sits at 7-4 and in search of its first win in the rivalry under Leach. Ole Miss ranks first in the SEC in rushing offense (278.3 yards per game), while the Bulldogs are second in passing offense (321.2 yards per game), so it will also be a clash of two different styles.

Kickoff for the Egg Bowl is set for 7 p.m. ET on Thursday in Oxford.