Lane Kiffin’s move to LSU could have sent a ripple through Oxford, but Ole Miss managed to keep two of its biggest offensive pieces right where they were. Trinidad Chambliss and Kewan Lacy both chose not to follow their former coach to Baton Rouge, giving Pete Golding a major boost as he takes over as head coach and tries to keep the Rebels in the SEC mix.
Golding explained at SEC Media Days on Wednesday that his message to the two stars centered on legacy, the long view, and what comes after football. He also pointed them toward the reaction Kiffin got when he left.
“Football’s gonna end. What are you going to use?
You gotta use an alumni base to be able to get you a job. Where are you gonna bring your kids to?
What jersey are they wearing?” Golding said.
“Y’all two created a legacy in one season that’s gonna be hard for anybody to overtake, and for what’s going on now, for Coach Kiffin to leave - go Google Lane Kiffin. I had them both do it in my office.
Google Lane Kiffin, the dude they’d have built a statue of here three days ago. Google his name right now.
They wouldn’t piss on him if he was on fire. They’ll do the same thing to yall to [if you leave].”
Keeping Chambliss and Lacy in Oxford matters because the pair gives Ole Miss one of the most dangerous backfield combinations in the conference. Chambliss, the former Ferris State quarterback, threw for just under 4,000 yards last season even though he started only 10 games in the regular season.
Lacy was just as imposing on the ground. He ran for 1,567 yards and 24 touchdowns, both top-three marks nationally. He enters the season as a candidate to lead the SEC in rushing, along with Mizzou’s Ahmad Hardy.
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Former Ole Miss Leader Just Twisted The Knife On His Way Out
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Lane Kiffin Finally Admits One Part Of His Ole Miss Exit
Lane Kiffin spent SEC Media Days looking back at the messy stretch that followed his move from Ole Miss to LSU, and he did not try to dress it up. The new Tigers coach reflected on the transition and said he should have accepted athletic director Keith Carters decision to move on once he had agreed to take the LSU job, a rare public acknowledgment of how awkward the handoff became.
Kiffin also said he leaned on motivational speaker Kevin Elko while trying to sort through the fallout of leaving one SEC program for another, a reminder of how complicated the move was even after the ink dried. Now the focus is on LSUs future and the expectation that Kiffin will try to turn all of that upheaval into a run at an SEC title in 2026, even if the last chapter of the Ole Miss exit still hangs in the background. [Read more 🡒]