LSU Coach Lane Kiffin Links Ole Miss Recruiting Struggles to Past Racism in Oxford

LSU head coach Lane Kiffin continues to stir controversy over his departure from Ole Miss to take the Tigers job.

In an interview with Variety, Kiffin tied recruiting disadvantages during his time at Ole Miss to past racism in the Oxford community, contrasting it with his current experience at LSU.

Kiffin, known for social media jabs at rival schools, spoke just weeks after Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss gave his own interview to the outlet. He posed for photos inside Tiger Stadium and recalled his final days at Ole Miss. Kiffin said he repeatedly urged athletic director Keith Carter to let him coach the Rebels in the College Football Playoff.

Things escalated Monday when Kiffin discussed recruiting hurdles in Oxford. "Hey, coach, we really like you. But my grandparents aren’t letting me move to Oxford, Mississippi. That doesn’t come up when you say Baton Rouge, Louisiana," Kiffin told Variety. Parents this weekend praised LSU's campus diversity, he added. "It feels like there’s no segregation. And we want that for our kid because that’s the real world."

The remarks will add tension to the Sept. 19 SEC matchup between the schools to open conference play.

Kiffin later clarified to the reporter that his words aimed to be factual, not shots at Mississippi residents. "I just hope (comments) comes across respectful to Ole Miss ... There are some things that I'm saying that are factual, they're not shots," he said.

Kiffin knows how to create drama. While he raised Mississippi's past issues, linking them to his move to LSU invites backlash. Discussing racism histories in Louisiana versus Mississippi offers no easy ground.

The Ole Miss-LSU rivalry already simmered from Kiffin's exit to Baton Rouge. Now it burns hotter. SEC spring meetings in Florida later this month promise fireworks.