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Ole Miss football head coach Lane Kiffin knows what is expected of him when he takes the podium at SEC Media Days. Reporters hang on his every word, ready to build a story around the latest eye-opening or humorous soundbite that comes out of his mouth. He met expectations on Monday, giving thoughtful responses while also landing jabs on his peers. The man likes to keep everyone on their toes.
Kiffin's signature brand of sarcasm can lull people into a false sense of security. Case in point, he made what seemed to be innocuous and genuine remarks about Auburn's Hugh Freeze before concluding his response with ostensible trolling. The topic at hand was the scrutinized HC's frequent golf outings, which many Tigers fans believe is to blame for the program's troubling recruiting results for the 2026 class.
Kiffin appeared to reference the matter when quote-tweeting a post about Freeze winning a charity golf tournament that was from a month and a half earlier. He also recently tweeted fishing photos at his fellow SEC coach. The polarizing figure explained the latter and then touched on the former in only the way he knows how.
“I like Coach Freeze,” he said, via the Everything Ole Miss X account. “I have a thing with him going back a few years ago when he posted a picture in response to me of some two-pound bass or something like that. So, I kind of always posted bigger fish pictures back towards him.”
He then finished his reply with a bang. “That had nothing to do with his golf game, which {it} sounds like he's doing amazing at,” a straight-faced Kiffin said. “That's great for him.”
Lane Kiffin on the recent tweets about Hugh Freeze
Never change, Lane pic.twitter.com/slH5d7qXsJ
— Everything Ole Miss (@EverythingRebs) July 14, 2025
Hugh Freeze is under fire
This is classic Lane Kiffin. One cannot tell what is genuine and what is trolling. And that is exactly what the national championship-winning offensive coordinator wants. He likes to have a good time. Considering that the Rebels' 2024-25 season ended in disappointing fashion, Kiffin deserves credit for maintaining his sense of humor a month and a half before the new campaign kicks off. Hugh Freeze could probably benefit from some laughter himself.
It is unclear exactly how the former Ole Miss HC feels about Kiffin's remarks, but he should already have plenty on his mind. His seat is scorching hot after consecutive losing campaigns in Auburn. This year's crop of recruits is one of the best in the country, giving fans some reason to believe a turnaround is attainable. The Tigers have struggled lately, though, and are currently ranked outside the top-50 for 2026. Freeze's steady presence on the links has not helped his optics problem.
The 55-year-old insists that he has not missed a day of work because of golf. It must be noted that he is battling prostate cancer, and staying physically active in this manner could help him stay mentally strong through this obviously serious recovery process. Many fans have shown their support for Freeze in his personal fight. But unfortunately, his coaching performance is drawing constant criticism.
He will try to quickly build rapport with Oklahoma transfer and former five-star quarterback recruit Jackson Arnold. The stakes are high this upcoming season. A third chance to coach in the SEC would obviously be tough to foresee. Hugh Freeze will try to quiet the noise and show the community why he seized his post in the first place.
Kiffin will follow what happens in the league, but he has enough to keep him busy in Oxford.
Can Ole Miss adjust going into new season?
Ole Miss football is entering a challenging transition period, with Jaxson Dart now playing in the NFL for the New York Giants. The 2024 All-SEC selection is one of many who is no longer on the roster. In fact, only a handful of returning players will be suiting up for the Rebels during the 2025-26 season.
Lane Kiffin must figure out how to navigate all this uncertainty. Molding new QB Austin Simmons figures to be a top priority. Though, no amount of adversity and pressure is probably going to prevent him from engaging in some shenanigans.
