Rece Davis explains why he would have let Lane Kiffin coach Ole Miss in College Football Playoff

Rece Davis didn’t mince words when discussing Lane Kiffin’s exit from Ole Miss, and the fallout that followed. On the ESPN College GameDay Podcast, the longtime host explained that, while he fully understands Ole Miss’ stance, he would’ve chosen a different path when it came to the College Football Playoff. 

“My position, had I been in Ole Miss’ shoes, is I would have allowed Lane Kiffin to coach — not because of Lane Kiffin,” Davis said. “Ole Miss is the aggrieved party here. Let’s make no mistake about that.”

Davis emphasized that Kiffin created this situation through his own decision-making, noting that the coach made “a business choice” that he absolutely had the right to make, but that didn’t entitle him to dictate how Ole Miss handled the aftermath. 

“He doesn’t get to set the parameters and the circumstances for everyone else involved in that choice,” Davis added. Still, despite the messy exit and the timing of his move to LSU, Davis believes Ole Miss should have prioritized the rare opportunity in front of them.

“If I had been in Ole Miss’ shoes, because this is a once-in-a-so-far-lifetime opportunity for them, I would have done everything to put them in the best position to grab the ring,” Davis explained.

He acknowledged that he fully understood the administration’s eventual decision to shut the door on Kiffin finishing out the postseason, especially given how chaotic things reportedly became once he began trying to navigate both jobs at once: “Particularly the way things apparently started playing out at the end as Lane Kiffin tried to make that happen,” he added.

Alas, Kiffin left Oxford this past weekend to take over the Tigers, leaving Ole Miss without the architect of its breakthrough playoff run. The Rebels will rely on newly promoted head coach Pete Golding as they navigate the most significant postseason stretch in program history, without the man who built the roster and guided them to 11 wins. 

Davis said the entire situation was “a fascinating display,” one that saw both the brilliance and the chaos of the modern college football’s coaching carousel, NIL era and accelerated hiring timelines come to fruition in the process.

For Davis, the idea is simple. Historic opportunities are too rare to let pride or principle outweigh the pursuit of glory. But for Ole Miss, the decision was just as clear. The moment one coach leaves for another job, the focus must shift to protecting the future of the program, and that’s exactly what they’re trying to do.