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Mississippi Department of Public Safety trolls Lane Kiffin, dog Juice after Ole Miss departure

ns_headshot_2024-clearby: Nick Schultz23 hours agoNickSchultz_7

During his introductory press conference at LSU this week, Lane Kiffin said while he was heading to the Oxford Airport for his plane to Baton Rouge, someone drove him off the road. The Mississippi Department of Public Safety weighed in on the situation – and Kiffin’s dog, Juice, wound up in the response.

Kiffin said he had to call a police officer he knew to escort him to the airport and someone also tried to run him off the road. His departure from Ole Miss was announced one day after the Egg Bowl, which the Rebels won handily over Mississippi State, but he will not be coaching the program through the College Football Playoff.

With regard to Kiffin allegedly being run off the road, MSDPS commissioner Sean Tindell said that’s not the case. He did so while wearing a visor and walking with a dog, which he said wasn’t even his.

“Look, contrary to any rumors or any other allegations, there’s been no incidents where our highway patrol state troopers were involved in any sort of accident trying to run Coach Kiffin off the road when he was leaving Oxford last weekend,” Tindel said in the video. “He had a safe trip, and he’s on his way. I’m sorry, this is not even my dog. Y’all be safe.”

Lane Kiffin’s departure became the story of the college football world as he left Ole Miss for LSU. During his press conference Monday, he credited the passion of the Rebels’ fan base, noting the scene at the airport as he and others boarded the plane to Baton Rouge.

That’s when he said he called a police officer he knew to help him and that people were trying to run him and his son off the road. But when he got to Tiger Stadium, Kiffin said he knew he made the right move.

“I’m human. Even though you understand it’s the passion, you’re with your son and you’re driving and you’ve got to call a cop that you know so they’ll help you because you personally know them, because you are leaving the state,” Kiffin said. “You got to call them because you’re driving with your son and you’ve got to turn around. People are like screaming at you trying to run you off the road. I don’t know what they’re gonna do. So that affects you. That airport scene, all the things being said, I understand it. It’s the passion. But they’re saying that about you. You thought you did a really good job for six years for them. That affects you.

“Even on the plane down here, you’re kind of like ‘Man, we made this decision, but God I really —’ you know? We landed last night and when I saw the board there and I saw the leadership and I felt the power of this place. Then we get out of the car and there’s the fans, just all of them out there at the airport. Then the cars drive by as you’re going to the office and you drive by Tiger Stadium and it’s lit up and you’re like, ‘I absolutely made the right decision.’ And it all went away.”