On Saturday night, Lane Kiffin was in Oxford, Mississippi, with Morgan Wallen’s entourage. The 48-year-old Ole Miss head football coach declined to don a uniform from a previous incarnation.
In 2009, Kiffin served as Tennessee’s head coach for a single year in Knoxville. There is no ill will between the former coach and his old school, despite the fact that Volunteers supporters are not the biggest admirers of his due to the way he left for his ideal job in Los Angeles. Heck, he calls his son “Knox”!
East Tennessee is the home of Wallen. The 30-year-old country music artist, who supports his hometown state school, was raised in Sneedville, a tiny community of 1,200 people 70 miles northeast of Knoxville. Being a part of Big Orange Nation makes him proud.
Over the past few years, despite being on different sides of the Southeastern Conference, Wallen and Kiffin have become close friends. Consequently, at the latter’s most recent performance on the One Night At A Time Tour, the former joined him for the fabled tunnel walk.
Last spring, Wallen was scheduled to perform at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, the home of the Rebels football team. However, voice difficulties kept him from doing so, and as a result, he had to postpone a few tour dates. Even after the weekend, Ole Miss made a ton of money, and everyone promised to arrange a makeup show.
The eagerly anticipated comeback happened on Saturday!
Kiffin went out backstage with Wallen, following him like a fighter heading into a championship match. The mood was elevated. Wallen, it turned out, requested that Kiffin dress in a Peyton Manning jersey for their stroll. The answer was emphatic nay!
No matter how many positions become available in the ensuing years, Kiffin intends to remain at Oxford. At his home turf, he was not going to be caught dead wearing Tennessee Orange or anything other than an Eli or Archie Manning jersey! Particularly in light of all that transpired in 2021 between the two Knoxville institutions…
I apologize to Morgan Wallen, but Lane Kiffin made it very apparent where he stands!