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Ole Miss

Why Lane Kiffin thinks Ole Miss and the Green Bay Packers are a lot alike in one specific area

11by: Jake Thompson08/22/23JakeThompsonOn3
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Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin

The statement might make one tilt their head in bewilderment or confusion at first but when hearing out Lane Kiffin‘s explanation on why he thinks the Ole Miss football program and the Green Bay Packers are a lot alike in on key area it makes sense.

Kiffin is entering his fourth season as the head coach of the Rebels and from day one of his tenure there has been an NFL and pro mindset influence in nearly everything he does. From speaking to the media to how he recruits and then coaches his players.

Now Kiffin is bringing that NFL-esque attitude to the NIL arena.

Monday was the first day of The Grove Collective’s week-long fundraising event and the live-streamed telethon, for lack of a better comparison, brought in over $1 million towards the NIL efforts for Ole Miss.

Kiffin, along with other Ole Miss head coaches, appeared during Monday’s live event and spoke about the uniqueness of Oxford and the Rebels fan base.

In his media availability following Tuesday’s practice Kiffin was asked about the Grove Collective’s efforts up to this point and doubled down on Monday’s comments plus added an interesting comparison.

“It’s been awesome what the collective’s done. What Walker Jones has done and what the donors have done,” Kiffin said. “I mentioned this (Monday) but I kind of feel like Ole Miss kind of like the Green Bay Packers in college football, especially the SEC. Not the biggest town, not the most alumni. See them come together like they have really kind of makes me thinks of Green Bay and how it’s like shareholders owning the team.”

Recruiting efforts have truly shifted in what the priorities are and Kiffin has adapted to keep Ole Miss in the NIL arms race.

Kiffin has been banging the drum for a couple years that what was once important to a high school prospect when picking a school is no longer the same in 2023.

Now the conversations between coaches and high school players — and transfer portal players — is more financially centered with the on-the-field and facilities taking a peripheral seat at the table.

“I said yesterday without that we’re not going anywhere,” Kiffin added. “I don’t care how great assistant coaches you hire, who your head coach is, any of that. You don’t have this, just like you’ve seen in professional sports, you don’t win. I took a lot of heat but a couple years ago when I said NIL and even a collective done right and funded properly is way more important nowadays. It is. More important than the size of the weight rooms, the size of stadiums and how many Heisman Trophies you have.

“I don’t think I’m like a wizard but if you didn’t see that coming (where) 17, 18 year-olds are going to make decisions when salaries were included. That that was going to be the number then kind of missed the boat on that. So, now we’re seeing it and everyone’s talking about it. Been on this for a couple years and to see our fans and donors respond like that is awesome.”

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