WATCH: Beard Fireside Chat = CFP berth? Worked for Texas’ Sark. Now it’s Lane Kiffin’s turn.
The last sitting college football coach to join Chris Beard for one of his popular ‘Fireside Chat’ sessions made the College Football Playoff the following year.
Now-fifth-year Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin hopes to follow suit.
Beard had Steve Sarkisian on while the pair was together at Texas. The Longhorns, last season, fell a game shy of reaching the CFP National Championship Game.
Friday was Kiffin’s turn. Beard is in his first season leading the Ole Miss men’s basketball team. Kiffin’s football Rebels won 11 games last season for the first time in program history. They’ve been to two New Year’s Six bowl games in the last four years.
And they’re already a trendy pick for the expanded, 12-team playoff in 2024.
“It was a really cool group of players,” Kiffin told Beard of last year’s group. The Rebels closed out with an easy win over a fellow Top 10 team, Penn State, in the Peach Bowl in December.
“That’s not always the case — that just because you put together a good roster, doesn’t mean they’re going to be a good team. They really gelled together, and they were really neat to coach. And now a lot of them decided to come back.”
Ole Miss STUDENTS
— Chris Beard (@CoachBeard) February 23, 2024
🔥 Side Chat
Special Thanks @Lane_Kiffin pic.twitter.com/QfvqvNjsZ6
Ole Miss’ long list of returning players begins with third-year starting quarterback Jaxson Dart.
But also running it back are, among others, receivers Tre Harris and Jordan Watkins, tight end Caden Prieskorn, defensive linemen Jared Ivey and JJ Pegues and offensive linemen Jeremy James and Caleb Warren.
Ole Miss also signed a Top 3 transfer class. The Rebels open spring football practices the week after spring break in March.
“They were just really unselfish, which was really refreshing nowadays to have,” Kiffin said.
Kiffin and Beard also share their ‘Book of the Week,’ as well as discuss Kiffin the Dad, Pete Golding’s hair and so much more. The included video was provided by Ole Miss Athletics.
