Four Ole Miss coaches didn’t have much time to celebrate a 39-34 upset win over No. 3 Georgia in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal on Thursday.
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They had a flight to catch for Baton Rouge as the clock struck midnight and the transfer portal opened.
Ole Miss offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr., tight ends coach Joe Cox, wide receivers coach George McDonald and running backs coach Kevin Smith signed with LSU to coach under Lane Kiffin in 2026.
Weis reportedly plans to coach No. 6 Ole Miss against No. 10 Miami in the CFP semifinal in the Fiesta Bowl on Thursday night.Â
Per ESPN, it’s unclear if Cox, McDonald and Smith will remain at LSU or return to Oxford through the rest of the Rebels’ run in the CFP. The four assistants are expected to help host prospects in Baton Rouge this weekend.
College football insider Ben Dogra told Newsweek that Kiffin is facing a dilemma with his four staffers and Ole Miss as the transfer portal opens. It’s likely that Kiffin didn’t anticipate the Rebels beating Georgia and continuing their season before the transfer portal opened on Friday.
“I don’t think Lane Kiffin ever envisioned Ole Miss going this far without him,” Dogra said.
That was just the latest dilemma for Kiffin to deal with in a messed-up schedule for college football.
Kiffin quickly had his staffers in Baton Rouge when he accepted the job on Nov. 30. However, he allowed his coaches to return to Ole Miss to coach the CFP in what Dogra thinks was a move to help LSU in recruiting the class of 2026. Frankly, the optics wouldn’t have looked good to incoming players if he burned his former team on the way out.
Still, Kiffin faced an uphill battle to recruit high school kids before the early signing period with a distracted offensive staff. Per 247 Sports, LSU’s class is ranked No. 13 nationally for 2026, which ranks behind SEC programs Alabama (two), Georgia (six), Tennessee (seven), Texas (eight) and Texas A&M (nine).
Kiffin needs the transfer portal if he wants to win immediately. After all, LSU put all their chips in for his services when they gave him a contract worth $13 million annually.
While Kiffin had Weis, Cox, McDonald and Smith on Friday, the transfer portal is open through Jan. 16. He’ll need his coaches available to take plane trips to wine and dine with players and meet their families. Ole Miss needs its coaches prepping for a game against a vicious Miami team in less than six days.
“Lane Kiffin cannot be everywhere in the country at one time,” Dogra said. “He cannot be in every living room.”
That could hurt the chances of LSU competing with programs like Texas, Ohio State and Alabama for the top transfer targets. Assistant coaches need to be available to convince players that the Tigers are the savvy move in 2026.
An in-person ego boost doesn’t hurt that effort.
Ole Miss’ sustained success in the CFP under new head coach Pete Golding also hurts Kiffin’s recruiting efforts. Under Golding, the Rebels outmatched Kirby Smart’s Georgia by five points. Kiffin’s Rebels lost 43-35 to the Bulldogs earlier in the regular season. Weis’ offense hung 37 on Georgia on Thursday night sans Kiffin.
Dogra suggested Kiffin’s reasoning for wanting to coach Ole Miss in the CFP had nothing to do with trying to compete for a national championship, something he could have done by not taking the LSU gig in the first place.
“The $1 million bonus (for winning the national championship) didn’t matter–Kiffin wanted to raid (Ole Miss) of their best players,” Dogra said.
Kiffin ultimately left Ole Miss before the CFP to chase more than a championship. LSU gives him the best chance to recruit a dynasty because they have more money and better resources than the Rebels. The only program that might have the ability to outflank him is Texas.
Ole Miss players might be more inclined to stay in Oxford for next season after beating Georgia under Golding. They proved they could win playoff games without Kiffin. Older transfers don’t have a college dynasty to chase.
Without his players from Ole Miss coming to Baton Rouge in 2026, Kiffin’s foundation for a dynasty would be seriously delayed.
Consider this: The best team in the CFP this year appears to be Indiana.
Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti took 13 players from James Madison to Bloomington in the transfer portal in 2024, helping IU make the CFP in his first season. Six are on the roster in 2025.
Kiffin’s recruiting gumbo might have some tasty shrimp, but what’s the point if there’s no roux?
For more on the NCAA, head to Newsweek Sports.
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