Late Monday night time, the sports activities director for WCBI News in Mississippi, Jon Sokoloff, detonated a grenade within the faculty soccer carousel by reporting that Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin could be accepting Auburn’s head teaching job. Sokoloff’s tweet particularly said that Kiffin’s being named Auburn coach was imminent and that he would step down on Friday after Thursday’s Egg Bowl conflict in opposition to Mississippi State.
Kiffin later tweeted out a printout of a typed report that tried to show the tables by insinuating Sokoloff was leaving his station for WLOX. Kiffin being outed as the subsequent Auburn coach forward of the Egg Bowl would have made issues untenable for Kiffin, which explains why he would mock the report.
Interestingly, his ridiculing of Sokoloff isn’t an outright denial. He didn’t even attempt to say Sokoloff was mistaken. A 12 months in the past, Lincoln Riley adamantly insisted he “was not going to be the next head coach at LSU.” Riley might be awarded factors for honesty, and demerits for giving a deceptive assertion. Lane Kiffin higher not be leaving Ole Miss now as a result of he’s dug himself into a fair deeper gap when he in all probability ought to have tamped down the rumor mill.
The veracity of Sokoloff’s tip continues to be up within the air, however we received’t have a particular reply till Auburn names Kiffin, interim coach Cadillac Williams, or another person as its subsequent head coach. However, Sokoloff has credibility as an info dealer. On Oct. 29, he reported that Mississippi State athletic director John Cohen would fill the AD emptiness at Auburn days earlier than his hiring was introduced. Clearly, there’s smoke, and Sokoloff’s info pipeline is strong.
However, Kiffin is a grasp gaslighter. Kiffin’s corny tweets didn’t even calm the rumors. If something, his focus was on being as edgy as attainable. He’s one of the crucial on-line coaches in faculty soccer and he thrives on Elon Musk’s Twitter. Prior to Sokoloff kicking up Auburn rumors, Kiffin made certain to let everybody know that he was targeted on making ready for the Egg Bowl, not on the Auburn opening.
Kiffin’s mocking tone in his tweets clarifies the enchantment he has with recruits. When you understand he’s spiritually a teen nonetheless, the whole lot is sensible. The trolling, the Twitter hijinks, the immaturity. He’s the coach who doubles as your buddy whereas Kelly or Nick Saban emanates stern dad vitality.
Ole Miss additionally denied Sokoloff’s report, which hopefully doesn’t imply that they’re additionally oblivious to who their coach is. Kiffin and his run-heavy offensive assault have been a hit at Ole Miss. Prior to their consecutive defeats within the month of November, the Rebels have been a top-10-ranked program. Ole Miss will maintain onto Kiffin so long as it presumably can, however the finish of the Kiffin period might be drawing close to and the Rebels sound like they’re in denial.
We met Kiffin when he grew to become the top coach of the Oakland Raiders on the age of 31 in 2010. He left Oakland in tumult. Then, Kiffin departed Tennessee in a maelstrom for USC and was deserted on the tarmac at Los Angeles International Airport by Trojans Athletic Director Pat Haden. The night time Kiffin deserted his final SEC job at Tennessee, followers rioted exterior the complicated the place his resignation press convention was to be held. Avoiding a shitstorm this time round might be price conserving the facade up for a couple of extra days.