Lane Kiffin Escorted to Airport by Police, Fan Road Rage Claims Dismissed

Mississippi State Police Refute Kiffin’s Claims of Fan Harassment During LSU Transition

Mississippi State Police have contradicted former Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin’s account of being threatened by fans as he departed for his new position at LSU, confirming they provided him with a police escort but denying his claims of being endangered by hostile supporters.

The Mississippi Department of Public Safety acknowledged that multiple police vehicles escorted Kiffin to the airport for his flight to Baton Rouge. This confirmation came in response to Kiffin’s public statements that he and his son Knox faced dangerous situations from angry fans during their departure.

“Knox and I driving and people trying to run us off the road, things that were said to us, that’s the SEC,” Kiffin claimed during his Sunday introduction in Baton Rouge. He elaborated that he had to “call a cop that you know so they’ll help you” and described a scene where “people are screaming at you, trying to run you off the road.”

This discrepancy marks the latest in a series of contradictions between Kiffin’s narrative and the accounts provided by those still at Ole Miss, including players and administrators.

The coaching transition has been particularly contentious given its timing. Despite Ole Miss being positioned for a College Football Playoff appearance as the nation’s sixth-ranked team, the university removed Kiffin from his position immediately after learning of his decision to accept the LSU job.

In a social media post following his departure, Kiffin claimed that Rebels players had asked athletic director Keith Carter “to allow me to keep coaching them so they could better maintain their high level of performance” through the playoff run.

This assertion was swiftly challenged by multiple Ole Miss players. Linebacker Suntarine Perkins responded on Twitter: “That was not the message you said in the meeting room. Everybody that was in there can vouch on this.” Offensive lineman Brycen Sanders similarly disputed Kiffin’s account, writing: “I think everyone that was in that room would disagree,” with teammate Paris Wilkins adding, “Fax this was not said from anyone!!”

Carter directly addressed these discrepancies in a Wednesday interview with SuperTalk Mississippi, stating that Kiffin had said “a lot of things publicly that I’m not sure are totally accurate.” The athletic director specifically refuted Kiffin’s claim that he was unaware he wouldn’t coach in the CFP until Sunday.

“It was very clear that coaching in the postseason was not going to be an option for Coach Kiffin several weeks ago,” Carter explained. He also challenged Kiffin’s characterization of the team meeting, saying, “I don’t think the way he portrayed that meeting was accurate. There was a lot of pushback to him leaving… Begging for him to stay is certainly an overstatement, and our players are starting to show what really happened in that meeting.”

The conflicting narratives highlight the often contentious nature of high-profile coaching changes in college football, especially when they occur before the conclusion of a successful season. The situation has created additional tension within the SEC, where coaching moves between conference rivals frequently generate controversy.

Ole Miss now faces the challenge of maintaining momentum into the College Football Playoff without the coach who helped position them for success, while LSU begins its new era under Kiffin amid scrutiny over the circumstances of his departure from Oxford.