Sage Steele Questions Lane Kiffin's Ole Miss Remarks After 4 Years, as He Apologizes
Updated
Updated · Fox News · May 13
Sage Steele Questions Lane Kiffin's Ole Miss Remarks After 4 Years, as He Apologizes
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · May 13
Sage Steele said Lane Kiffin’s comments about Ole Miss and segregation concerns were notable mainly because he raised them only after leaving Oxford for LSU.
On Will Cain’s podcast, Steele contrasted Kiffin’s new criticism with his earlier praise for Ole Miss, saying he had long described the school and community as embracing his family.
Kiffin told Vanity Fair some recruits’ families, especially out-of-state Black parents and grandparents, were reluctant to send players to Mississippi, while Baton Rouge felt more diverse and less segregated.
Kiffin later told On3 he meant no disrespect, apologized to anyone offended, and said he was describing a longstanding recruiting narrative rather than taking a shot at Ole Miss.
Ole Miss has spent decades shedding Civil War-era symbols, including phasing out Confederate flags in 1997, but its Rebels nickname and Ole Miss moniker still carry slavery-era associations.
How can Ole Miss counter a rival coach who now uses its historical image as a weapon in recruiting battles?
Will Kiffin's comments accelerate the removal of controversial symbols and nicknames across U.S. college sports?
Is Kiffin using cultural issues to mask a move driven by NIL money and championship ambitions?