Lane Kiffin acknowledges Saturday’s game was personal after A&M head coach called him, Nick Saban ‘clowns’
COLLEGE STATION, Texas — One thing I’ve learned covering Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin is he, indeed, does not do “coach-speak,” meaning he tells it like it is, good or bad.
Kiffin was in rare form Saturday night after his Rebels defeated A&M, 31-28, on the road in College Station. And he acknowledged after the game that this one was personal for him.
The Rebels’ head coach was asked if the war of words this summer provided any added motivation to him in last night’s game.
“Yeah, I don’t give you coach-speak, so yeah, that’s real,” Kiffin said.
“Someone attacks you personally, calls you and your buddy Coach Saban both clowns, you take that personal. So, glad we won.“
Lane Kiffin on extra motivation from Jimbo’s name-calling
Jimbo calls Kiffin, Saban ‘clowns’
Before the season began, A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher called Kiffin and Alabama head coach Nick Saban clowns — and that really seems to have stuck with Kiffin.
Back in February, Saban told a group of Alabama boosters that A&M “bought every player” in its recruiting class with NIL (name, image and likeness) deals.
Fisher took umbrage to the remark and responded with a hastily called press conference — where he came hard after Saban and also added Kiffin into the mix following Kiffin’s remarks.
“And then to have coaches in our league say it? Clown acts,” Fisher said then. “Irresponsible as hell. Multiple coaches in our league, the guys griping about NIL and transfer portal, are using it the most. That’s the ironic part. It does piss me off.”
Fisher was quite upset by Kiffin’s comments on the Aggies’ vaunted 2022 recruiting class.
“We don’t have the funding resources as some schools with the NIL deals,” Kiffin said back then. “It’s like dealing with salary caps. I joked I didn’t know if Texas A&M incurred a luxury tax with how much they paid for their signing class.”
Postgame jabs
Immediately following the game, Kiffin was also on top of his verbal-barb game, alluding to the Rebels’ win over the Aggies’ highly-touted — and highly paid — recruiting class, the number one class in the entirety of college football rankings’ history.
“I thought the running backs did well — I mean, 390 yards rushing against a bunch of five-stars is pretty good,” Kiffin deadpanned.
“Three hundred ninety yards rushing against a bunch of five stars, pretty good.” Lane Kiffin pic.twitter.com/FCunBI8a5S
— The Rebel Walk (@TheRebelWalk) October 30, 2022
During that same on-field postgame interview, Kiffin was asked what he would be dressing as for Halloween.
“I don’t know, maybe Jimbo has a joker outfit for me,” Kiffin quipped.
“Maybe Jimbo has a Joker outfit for me.”
Lane Kiffin interviews never disappoint 😂 @SECNetwork pic.twitter.com/eeWsf6I332
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) October 30, 2022
As his postgame press conference began, Kiffin continued needling the Aggies’ head coach. He saw Fisher on the television in the Rebels’ media room and remarked, “I want to wait on Jimbo. See what he has to say. See if he calls me and Saban clowns.”
On Saturday night in front of a raucous crowd over over 101,000 fans, Lane Kiffin and the Rebels got the last laugh this season.
Click here to see Kiffin’s full postgame press conference.
Hotty Toddy!
Evelyn Van Pelt
Evelyn has covered sports for over two decades, beginning her journalism career as a sports writer for a newspaper in Austin, Texas. She attended Texas A&M and majored in English. Evelyn's love for Ole Miss began when her daughter Katie attended the university on a volleyball scholarship. Evelyn created the Rebel Walk in 2013 and has served as publisher and managing editor since its inception.
