#575 - Lane Kiffin

Today's guest is the head coach at Ole Miss down in Oxford, Mississippi, which is where we are taping today.

He's helped take that program to new heights in the past five years.

He's got his own group of fans called the Laniacs.

And it was great talking to him about his mentality on life, coaching, and leadership.

Today's guest is the one, the only

Lane

Kiffin.

Yeah, bro.

So you invited, did you invite me to Pilates or you invite me to yoga?

Which one?

Yoga.

Okay.

Very big difference.

Yeah.

My daughter's actually a Pilates teacher, but yoga is like better, like the hot yoga part of it.

Yeah.

The intensity, like make it so, so miserable.

You know, that's what I do.

I control the heat in the back.

You do?

Yeah.

At the yoga studio?

Yeah.

Oh, that's great, man.

Yeah.

Does it remind you almost of game day out there on the field?

Like, is it, because it gets pretty, I mean, you're in the SEC, so it's really, this is a really humid area.

Yeah.

So I make it that way too, like that we're playing like in the swamp or in Baton Rouge, like in an early September game.

So it's like really hot.

So you got to like fight through it.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Bat and ratchet, dude.

That's what I call it.

Yeah.

I was trying to get you to go to Smorning.

So then like you would have gone through the misery and the experience and then we'd like discuss it on air so you'd be like man i did get my yoga in this morning though yeah a little slower a little different yeah yeah yeah i got it in at uh room temp this isn't like traditional yoga like flow which that's good uh-huh and that's actually where i started with it then i was like i gotta go to another level like make this put a heater in there like make it as hot intense and then like put cardio in there and um i just like bringing new people to and they struggle so it makes me feel good about myself oh i see that's part of it yeah so oh yeah all right right.

Yeah, that was me just a couple hours ago getting it done on my Cat Williams statue right there.

I didn't know what that was, like Nutcracker or something.

Oh, yeah.

That's a, that's a statue of Cat Williams that they have.

But yeah, so is that a big part of your, like, is yoga like a regular part of your day usually or your week?

Yeah, every day, every morning.

It like starts my day that way.

And so there's no phone for an hour, you know, and you got to like,

you got to get uncomfortable.

You got to sit in it.

So I figured if I can start my day usually at like six o'clock in the morning that way, and be so uncomfortable that that's the hardest part of my day, the rest of it, man, I can deal with the rest.

Yeah.

And so that, you know, you just, you get in those poses too, in those positions, you're just like, man, this is, I want to get out of this discomfort.

So I got to stay in the discomfort.

And over time, just, I'm able to stand longer and longer and more intense with the heat.

And I feel like the rest of the day, man, I'm just going to like chill for the rest of the day.

And what, so if the heat's been ramped up, what's the next thing you think you would add in to

Lane Kiffen, like the Lane Kiffen yoga experience, which almost seems like people should wear pads to be added?

It seems like, yeah, well, we have playlists.

So we got good music, good energetic music.

We put some cardio in there now.

And so we challenge the teachers, like, come up with the hardest things possible.

So they just like make this list of stuff.

Like, you know, back when you were like young and you were like training in high school and they just put up all the, all the different like three by 10, 3x15, like Aldi's and keep going.

And then like some of the classes like are public.

So we got students in there.

We got other people in there.

So, and then we like, I feel like civilians, like, yeah, I'm trying, I'm trying to take Oxford to another level.

So, I'm like, I want for generations it to be tough.

Yeah.

And so, sometimes they're like, well, open the door.

You know, I'm like, don't open the door, man.

We like keep them in the heat.

Yeah.

Hold the line.

Yeah.

So then at the end, like, I'm like, guess what?

We need overtime.

Like last week, like, it's March Madness.

We need an overtime.

And everybody's saying, no, no overtime.

No overtime coach.

And I'm like, kick the field goal, coach.

We got to get out of here.

Yeah, we're making these kids tougher.

Dang.

I can't believe I, the fact that somebody's trying to start generational yoga is

that's next level, man.

I guess that's the lane kiffen level, you know?

And I like the fact, yeah, you hit me up on social media.

I thought that was cool just to like kind of welcome me into the area today.

So I thought that was pretty cool.

You kind of have like a notorious, you're kind of notorious on Twitter for like being like a unique, like kind of an outspoken coach.

Would you say that's a fair term?

Yeah, I would say very different.

Yeah.

I looked at social media when I started, it was for recruiting because we weren't able to text the kids a dumb NCAA rule, like most of them.

And you couldn't text them, could you mail?

Yeah, you could, um, you could DM them.

You could, um, on Twitter, you could message them.

You could message them on Twitter, but you couldn't text them personally.

Yes, it made no sense.

Right.

So that's why it was started.

And then I just kind of started being a normal person.

I was like, you know, I can't be a normal person as a coach in a lot of my life.

So I was like, on social media, I'll just be normal.

And then buddies start sending me stuff.

I just retweet it.

Or other coaches, like in the SEC, like Kirby Smart, he all the time because he's politically correct.

So he's like, got stuff he wants to put out there, but he's like, they just send it to me because they know I will.

So nice.

I just kind of embraced it and ran with it.

Yeah, I think it's,

I think it separates you from some of the other guys out there.

That's for sure.

I think, yeah, it makes you seem a little bit more

kind of crazy and personable at the same time.

I think.

The reason why I kept going with it was because

I would go into home visits and these parents would say, or they'd come into my office, like when they're doing a campus tour and they would say to me, like, coach, we feel like we already know you.

We love your social media.

I love your Twitter.

I love your Instagram.

Like, we feel like we already know you.

And I'm like, well, shoot, how much is that worth that?

They're already coming to visit us, wanting their kid to go here, saying we already know you because of it.

So then I just kept going with it.

Yeah.

I mean, look, you're the only, um, you're the only college coach that we've wanted to meet up with.

So this has kind of worked out.

Yeah, I think it probably does have an effect, you know.

I've made it.

I feel like I've made it then.

Well, no, this college coach that Theo Vaughn wants to do a show with.

You don't lose your job by the time this is over, then that's the, that's the goal.

That's the goal, yeah.

To keep 55 more minutes.

Yeah, 55 more minutes.

That's the goal.

Is there a difference between the

kind of the Twitter lane and, and I'm the one saying, putting you in a third person.

I know you're not doing that.

So, but is there a difference between the kind of the Twitter personality and the the personality of the actual personality like what's kind of like offline lane

i would say the twitter is probably closer to it you know um people that are around me all the time and stuff say like

what was out there early on especially about me or what people think really isn't what he is and you probably hear that a lot but yeah so i feel like twitter is more actually how i am just kind of okay that's funny i'll just like say that or send that out you know like and so

I'm not an old school coach in many regards at all, just because I think you should always evolve.

You should always not do things because it was in a book of how to do it before and always kind of test things, you know, like around here we say, you know, instead of just thinking outside the box, we create a new box.

We challenge everything, different ways of thinking things.

So, um, and social media is part of that because that's not, or how I do a press concert, or even doing this.

There probably be some coaches that even if they, if you did call them up for this, they wouldn't do it because they'd say, okay, well, that's not really the message I want to put out.

You know,

Kim Mulkey won't text me back.

I mean, that should be like a no-brainer.

That's what I'm thinking.

In-state.

I mean,

you got to have amazing like Louisiana following positive numbers.

I don't know how they track that, but it's got to be amazing.

I mean, you're one of them.

Yeah, I'm not at the Flowers A.

Johnson levels yet.

I'll get there, though, I think.

So why do you think like, because yeah, you do have a unique personality, right?

And you, at least your personality is able to be seen these days.

And I think that that's something that just happens more over time with social media and more just we have more video of people in general now, you know?

So there's just like so many more little moments that get captured.

So you get to know somebody's personality.

And that's how I think a lot of fans, they, I think they gravitate a lot more towards athletes, coaches, anybody really in the world because they get to know their personality, right?

We were talking before about social media and how that kind of like, like why people kind of gravitate towards certain people on social media.

And I think some of that's, that's just kind of the answer.

It's just there's more out there.

And if people are willing to show some of their personality and not kind of follow like this playbook of exactly how things are supposed to be, but remain within HR,

HR has a box you have to stay in pretty much.

Yeah.

But

I think, I don't know if it don't make any sense.

As a head coach, you got a lot of people that you've got to please.

Right.

And that's challenging in these type of settings and these things because you want to talk to recruits in that age group, your current players, your fans, but then you also have administration.

You've got old donors that have been around a long time, seen things done a certain way for a long time.

So there's a lot of challenges in that.

And you can't please everybody, which,

you know, so I've kind of,

right or wrong, I've always said, hey, my job is to wherever I'm working at, meaning my job is to old miss

and not to potential future presidents or ADs at other places or other fan bases.

And so whether I was at Tennessee or USC or here, wherever I was, it was like, okay,

a lot of what I say, other fans don't like.

Maybe even other athletic directors are like, well, I don't like that he said that.

But our own fans, our own administration really like it because it's usually me backing old miss and saying what I think about the program, what it should be, and maybe sometimes taking shots at other programs or something like that.

Factual information blatantly, you know, and putting it out there.

And so that, that upsets some people and upsets a lot of other fan bases.

Well, that's not my job to worry about them.

Yeah, since you're, yeah, you have one fan base.

Yeah, they're not, they didn't hire me.

They're not paying the bills.

So

I've always looked at it, and I think a lot of coaches don't do that.

And I'm not saying I'm right.

A lot of coaches say, hey, I'm going to say things so that future employers potential, that they see it.

So then they're going to want to hire me.

And I've just never thought that way.

Do you,

you already had two experiences like coaching in the SEC, right?

At

Alabama and at Tennessee?

Yep.

Like, how's it been different here at Ole Miss?

Because, I mean, you know, some people call it the Yale of Mississippi kind of.

Well, I think, you know, I was, as you mentioned, the head coach of Tennessee, then offensive coordinator at Alabama.

So spent some time there.

And

those programs really, over a long period of time, had won a lot of games.

Alabama, unbelievable championship runs, Coach Saban, probably a,

you know, a decade there that's never going to be done ever again.

Yeah.

Too many wins, I think, for a school.

Not good for them at a certain point, but almost.

Not good for a competitive environment throughout the conference when he was taking all the players and and winning all the games.

And old Miss had been down.

Right.

You know,

somebody said a stat the other day, you know, in the last four years.

So the seniors in college here, it's been a cool experience for them.

They saw a national championship in baseball.

They just saw both basketball teams go to the Sweet 16.

And in four years of football here, we've had three top 12 finishes.

Well, they only had one in the previous 51 years.

Wow.

So there's been four in 55 years.

They've seen three of the four.

So

the difference, obviously, in the programs was different, but I really liked that.

It was like a challenge because you can come in at the top of a place that's kind of always one and then you win.

It's like, okay, versus, wow, let's like change what's happened.

Let's like create a new winning culture, a new way of thinking

in how the locker room and the whole university thinks about football and the program.

And so

we've raised the expectations to where we won 10 games and people are upset around here, you know?

Right.

And so yeah, that's a different energy.

You guys were 13 points away from 13 more points and you guys are undefeated last year.

13 total.

Well, you need three to win.

So 16 more points last year and you guys would have been undefeated.

It's pretty crazy.

Yeah, we played 13 games, 10 of them we won by double digits.

And then the three losses were all one score games right at the end of the game.

What's kind of different between coaching like in the Pac-10 or I think it's the Pac-12 or something now.

Everybody keeps kind of like changing their names.

Yeah, I don't think it exists anymore.

It's like Pac-Two now.

Yeah, Pac-Two.

It was like, it was eight at one point.

Then it was 10.

Then it was 12.

Some of those teams should not have been in there.

And now there's like two.

Everybody else left.

What was it?

Like, what do you notice different between coaching and like the pack, like a different conference as opposed to the SEC?

Like, yeah, you coached at FAU, you coached at

you coached in the PAC 10-212-8.

You know, what's the difference, do you think?

Yeah.

You know, there's a saying like in the SEC Daycoin, like, it just means more.

And it really does.

Like the passion in the towns for the football programs,

the attention on it.

And really the playover time has been dominant.

The SEC's had more draft picks, more championships, all those things.

It's just different.

It's a way of life down here.

Oh, and yeah.

You look at people that can't even read and they can, but they're just yelling, go dogs.

I feel if somebody come out of a coma and be like, go dogs or something you know yeah or somebody like come out of a coma and be like hoodie and then just pass away like people's last words baby's first word there's like 30 videos of baby's first words being like sec chance or whatever

it's a lot i was the head coach of usc you spend time out in la so it's just a different world out there and i remember i was walking through campus and i was like

man i bet like 50 70 of these students have no idea who i am i'm the head coach of the football team they got no idea who I am.

They just, they're going to school at USC, you know, getting their education.

Yeah.

And like here,

that like, like 100% know who you are.

You know, like the, the little kids, like the,

you know, you go to like

walk downtown and like a four-year-old's like, Coach Kiffin.

Like they know who you are.

So it's like.

They'll complain about your family.

But for people that haven't been down here, maybe that makes sense to them, like to understand that.

You know, like you don't go anywhere without any, everybody knowing who you are, but also like that, too.

You know, kid will be like, Yeah, yeah, they're like eight-year-old kid, maybe not four.

They just say, go to jail, kid.

But eight-year-old,

well, we've been winning, so they don't say that, but that's happened as soon as we lose a couple.

Yeah.

But no, they do.

They'll be like, Coach, man, like, what about throwing that tight end on the in route?

I'm like, you're like eight.

Like, how do you, how do you know that?

Yeah, it's 11 a.m.

What are you doing at this cafe?

You should be in school.

You should easily, obviously, you're truant.

But yeah, it's definitely, it's a lot more intense in the South.

It's just, yeah, it's.

Yeah, they're like, like, coach, you're three for 14 on third downs.

I'm like, I didn't even know that.

And they do, but it's just, it just means more the passion for it.

And it's also why it's so awesome, too.

It's why the stadiums are the way that they are.

The electricity before games as people walk into the stadiums.

Like, it's just different.

It's awesome.

Yeah, because you guys have a walk.

I mean, I think a couple of teams do a walk now.

Do people ever try and tickle you or whatever and you walk by?

That's crazy.

That's something nobody.

Well, I like moved.

This happened at Tennessee and then here.

And maybe this isn't like the best thing, but I like moved it a little wider.

Like they didn't have like barricades on the walk.

And they're like, well, it's great, man.

And the fans are like, you interact with them.

Like, this walk is like a half mile.

Like, you're walking through like 40,000 people.

Yeah.

You know, and like, you got to wear a suit and everything.

And then, like, they're like grabbing you and everything.

And so

I moved the barricades

and adults.

Yeah, like like a little wider.

Plus, I mean, we are in the deep south.

So there's a lot of great things.

And, but I mean, there's just some different things too now.

You know, they're like grabbing you.

They got chew spit on their hands.

Like they're fucking demand.

People just yelling stuff.

Like, yeah, there's a lot of.

And it's like, whoa, can we like move these just back a little bit?

Maybe like, maybe I can just do the wave.

Yeah.

You know, hey, guys.

Good to see you.

Put the defensive tackles along the outside.

Yeah, I agree, but you guys, yeah, it's definitely a ton of tradition here.

I mean, this is like Morgan Freeman's front porch down here in the south.

It's a slower lifestyle.

Was that a little bit tough for you?

I mean, what's because, I mean, it is, Mississippi is this, it's a, it is like wandering back through time, you know?

Yeah, there's a lot there.

Um, I can unpack there.

Uh,

yeah, I'm, I mean, it's a lot of history.

I moved here, a lot of tradition.

And everything you're going to give me is just full disclosure anyway.

I moved here because it was SEC head job and I thought we could win.

and do a great job.

It wasn't, I wasn't like, man, I want to move to like, I'm just really dying to move to Oxford, Mississippi.

Right.

But I also didn't know much about it either.

So I judged it that way, just kind of like a lot of people do about Mississippi.

And at first, it was a lot because, because I'd spent most of my time before that in South Florida or in LA at USC.

And I was like, at first, I was like, whoo, dude, this is a lot.

Like, I mean, long-winded, like a lot of conversations, slow moving.

Oh, yeah.

But then you say thank you, like it's not over.

Like, hey, thank you.

And then, like, they just keep going.

Yeah, oh, yeah.

I'm like, no, but no, really, thank you.

I really appreciate it.

Like, I'm going to go to go now.

Oh, well,

what are you?

So, what are you doing tomorrow?

I just met you.

Like, you know, like.

Oh, yeah.

You can make everybody's a friend.

And there's also so many famous authors, though, that that's why the South is so full of famous storytellers, because everybody is one, you know.

But then it took me some, I'm so glad that I've been here long enough now, five years, going on six year, and now I see it completely different.

Now I go back to like South Florida or I go to LA and I'm like, dang, these people are rude.

Like everybody's moving fast.

Everybody's just into themselves.

Nobody's like saying hi.

So it's like, what I thought really was kind of bad.

Now I'm like, man, I love it now.

You know, it's like a warmth, a sweetness, you know, hospitality and people being nice.

And I've, and I've learned to, that's actually slowed me down because I was always like,

what job can I get?

You know, how fast can I move?

How many championships to win?

Like just always moving.

And I was like, maybe they're onto something here.

Maybe this slowdown thing that I was judging at first, like I made jokes about the rocking chairs, like people sit in rocking chairs.

Yeah.

And I'm like, at first, Charlotte airport or whatever.

I saw that.

Yeah, I did when I was, and I was like, you'll see somebody has a 40-second layer and and they're like, I'm going to get a little rest in.

Yeah.

And I'm like, I actually saw some right away and people were in them.

And I said to somebody right away, I'm like, what are they doing?

That looks miserable.

Like, that's so slow.

And it's just two of them.

Sometimes one.

Like, what are you doing?

Well, they don't even have their phone out.

Like, what do you got?

And now I'm like, hey, they're on to something.

Yeah.

Just slow down.

And so I've kind of said, hey, maybe there's something to the Mississippi lane.

I just slow down, taking conversations, listen to people instead of just always talking and moving.

And

now I love it.

It's definitely like the program is, it feels a lot different.

You know, my best friend has been in hiding for years.

He's an old miss like fanatic.

He will sit there and, you know, he's betting on test scores.

He's betting on all types of stuff.

He's betting on SAT over-unders for, you know, foreign exchange students.

So he gambles as well, obviously.

But now he's like out and proud kind of, you know, he's rocking that powder blue the past few years.

He's really feeling the vibes, you know?

So I had some cool, a couple of cool things happen like that where I was with Landry and my daughter at this

Landry?

Yes.

At the Gin Sei, the sushi restaurant.

And I'm at the restaurant with her and this, this kid comes up and senior in college and she goes, she,

and like the South, because the women know the football just as much as the men.

Oh, yeah.

And she's like, I just want to thank you.

She's like, my four years here have been amazing.

Like, she's like, this was like a year ago.

So her first year had been bad.

So she's like, my four year, the first year, the team was bad.

Then you came.

And then she's like, you totally changed my college experience.

I'm like, dang, that's really cool.

You know, that like, like you said, your buddy now like feels better about wearing an old miss shirt.

You know, there's like more pride into it, you know?

So that's pretty cool that we've been part of that change and part of that experience for kids that like, now they're going to want to come back to games, you know?

And so that's pretty cool.

Oh, yeah.

I mean, it's like, that's when you want to be there.

You want to be there at the

angle, you know?

That's when you want to be there.

Yeah.

Nobody wants to be like, man, when I was in college, man, our team sucked.

Like, nobody went to the games.

It was terrible, you know, like, so it's really cool that we've been part of that.

Again, coming into a place that had been down a little bit.

That's another cool part of it.

Yeah.

And also like the players, too, when you come in and they've been losing.

Then the players in the locker room and you come in and they just embrace everything and then you start winning and they're just so excited because they're not used to it.

So, that's a really cool thing about turning programs around and being in those locker rooms to see that happen, yes, to see their appreciation for that.

Again, where if you're just coming in and places on top, and they're just winning and there's winning again, it's just they just expect it, and so they're not as appreciative of those moments because they haven't had it taken away, right?

You're on a pretty famous like text chain with like other SEC coaches.

This is alleged, yeah, um, Kirby Smart, uh, Sarkeesian.

What are the vibes on the chain?

I feel like, like, what is it like on there?

I feel like I keep it together.

Like, I keep the group together because one will beat the other, or they'll say something, and they kind of get mad at each other.

And then they won't, like, text for a week.

If, like, you beat him, then he doesn't text for a week.

Or if they're playing each other that week, they certainly aren't going to say anything.

And I'm like, guys.

And by you beat him, it means you, when you guys beat Georgia last year, but go on.

I feel it.

But then I just say something that night, you know, like, hey, man, like, you'll probably get us next year.

You know, like, they don't like, they don't think that's funny.

You know, like then one of them side text me, like, hey, man, you shouldn't have said that.

Kirby's pissed off, you know?

And I'm like, dude, it's just a game.

Relax.

We're buddies.

Do you guys vote on how another coach gets into the text chain?

Or what is the.

Yeah.

There's been conversations about that.

Really?

I just kind of, I actually have a, they may not know this.

We're giving a lot of information out today.

Appreciate you coming.

So, you know, kind of give you some special insight.

I have multiple ones so sometimes i'll say something that guy's not in it and that guy's you know then this guy's in it and so like i kind of make sure i know who's in them you know when i say certain things and then you know every once in a while i've got somebody does something and then i like

i move them out of the chat no yeah yeah yeah it's it's happened you know jimbo fisher removed from chat

RIP.

And then like, then I'll like put them back in.

Yeah.

But and just put them in.

And they're like typical coaches.

They don't know how to remove somebody or add somebody, oh, yeah, so it's like pretty cool that I can do it, and then like, how do you do that?

Yeah,

yeah, Lane's one of them tech wizards, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, coaches are a little behind time.

Like, that's a big deal to be able to remove somebody from his head.

Like, whoa, he must really like have somebody teaching him this stuff.

Who is uh, who's the most mysterious SEC coach to you, do you think?

Um,

hmm,

maybe Brian Kelly.

Speaking of LSU, you know, like, I like Brian,

Not a South guy, you know, kind of came in.

And so I think maybe people don't

really

understand him.

You know, he's just kind of,

he's a little bit different

than maybe your traditional, like,

Kirby Smart.

He's like born and raised SEC.

Oh, yeah.

He cuts his own hair.

It looks like it.

Yeah, it does.

He really does?

I'm totally putting that in.

Oh, I don't know.

It definitely looks like somebody ran a slant with some scissors across his forehead.

Yeah, like a bowl.

Oh, it's unbelievable.

And he shows the same haircut from when he was like playing.

It's like it never changed.

And it's a children's bowl.

Get an adult bowl.

What kind of

what kind of dishware are you guys using at the salon?

No, and actually, beautiful man there, too.

I wanted to say that, Kirby.

Oh, there you go.

But yeah, like, well, Brian Kelly, they also put him on that lazy Susimer when he first came in.

It's like,

and that's a tough one.

I retweeted that you what i retweeted that like when i did that thing yeah he was with the quarter it was terrible

i thought this was for a strip club to be honest with you i thought this was for yeah i think i wrote something like do you actually know they're filming you like did you put this out on purpose like

like you

you know they're gonna film you when you're doing this i thought this was a gender reveal and i was like well what are we what is it Yeah, and it's not like his first, his like first one.

He did it like the year before.

I'm like, do you realize you're like kind of grinding on the dude?

This was also a strip club advertisement near Natchez, Mississippi, I think, as well.

No judgment outside of there.

I've spent time there, but yeah, maybe Brian Kelly is kind of mysterious.

I think also maybe it's just because he's from, he hadn't, had he coached in the SEC before or not?

No, I don't think so.

And he's a nice guy.

And you're like at Notre Dame.

Right.

You're at Notre Dame and then you're like LSU.

I know.

I mean.

I know.

I mean, you went from heaven to.

Yeah, that's just like

that's as big a change as you you can have.

South Bend to Baton Rouge.

Oh, yeah.

And the SEC.

And so.

Oh, yeah, dude.

South Bend just down there into the Mr.

Weatherall belt.

Yeah, I think that's about, I don't think they make a bigger change than that.

For the McLaren Formula One team, speed is everything.

When every second counts, there's no time to dig through data.

Dropbox Dash finds what you need fast across all your work apps so you can focus on what matters.

Less busy work, more breakthroughs.

High-performing teams rely on high-performing tools like Dropbox Dash.

Learn more at dropbox.com backslash McLaren F1.

Ready to win some real cash during the basketball playoffs?

Check out Pick Six from DraftKings.

When it comes to basketball payouts, DraftKings Pick Six posterizes all the competition.

Hit all your picks and score higher minimum payouts on pick six, plus even more cash if you outscore the competition.

Pick six is available in most states, including Missouri, California, Texas, Georgia, and more.

New players get 50 in pick six credits instantly on just a $5 entry.

When I'm using Pick Six, I like to rock with Anthony Edwards.

and I run the over and then I'll also roll with Shay Gillis-Alexander

and run the over, baby.

Download the DraftKings Pick Six app now and use code Theo.

That's code T-H-E-O for new customers to play $5, get $50 in Pick Six credits.

Better payouts, bigger wins, only with Pick Six from DraftKings.

The crown is yours.

Gambling problem?

Call 1-800-GAMBLER.

Help is available for problem gambling.

Call 888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org in Connecticut.

Must be 18 and over.

Age and eligibility restrictions vary by jurisdiction.

Pick six not available everywhere, including New York and Ontario.

Void were prohibited.

One per new customer.

Bonus awarded as non-withdrawable pick six credits that expire in 14 days.

Limited time offer.

See terms at pick6.draftkings.com/slash promos.

This episode is brought to you by Sonic Drive-In.

America, you deserve a better burger.

One that's made to order.

Hand-smashed Angus beef patties hot off the grill with melty cheese yeah

introducing the smashional burger of America the Sonic Smasher you can get the double Sonic smasher for just one dollar starting April 21st for one week only when you order online or in the Sonic app this is the burger you deserve The Sonic Smasher is made with Angus beef, smashed and seared, crispy on the edges and juicy in the middle.

Layered with melty American cheese, a tangy smasher sauce, crinkle-cut fries, diced onions, and served on a soft potato bun.

It's a perfect burger bite.

Head to Sonic next week to try the double Sonic Smasher for just $1 starting April 21st, one week only when you order online or in the Sonic app.

Live free, eat Sonic.

Tax not included while supplies last.

The SEC has historic venues, right?

And a lot of historic, a lot of like, one thing that's interesting about the SEC is you'll have people that didn't go to college, but they will show up at the games as if it's their school.

And that doesn't happen like in as many other places.

It just does not happen.

You have people who can't read, people who can't see, but they'll.

they'll show up and watch a game somehow.

And you don't see that in other conferences.

So that totally happens.

And I remember, so my first taste of the South was going to Tennessee as the head coach.

And I'm coming from,

I was the head coach of the Oakland Raiders, and then I've been at USC before this.

I'm like coming from California to like Tennessee.

And I remember, I'm like,

there's a lot of people.

They have a spring game.

There's like 70,000 people here at the spring game, like 50,000 there two hours before.

And they're like, yeah, at the big games, like the thing will sell out.

Then there'll be another 20,000 outside.

And I'm like,

oh, I went to school here.

I'm like, no.

No, don't get it.

No.

And then when I went to Alabama, the same thing.

They're like, no, half these people didn't go to school here.

They just, they lived in the state at one point.

So they, it's their team.

It's not because they went to school there.

And like

their passion is unbelievable.

And I'm like, wait, you didn't even go to school here.

No.

No.

No.

I didn't go to school at all.

But my daddy knew somebody that did.

Yeah.

I'm like, wait, your dad went?

No, he didn't either.

So no one in your family ever went no sir to alabama no sir but you like your whole week your whole year is affected whether they win or lose like just angry the rest of the year whether they win or lose that like alabama tennessee game yes that's it yes sir but it doesn't impact you like your job do you work for no i don't work sir but i cheer for the todd

I mean, they got that one guy that roll Todd Willie now, and he's, he was in the military with my dad's buddy.

But

what is what's your favorite place to play, do you think, in the SEC outside of Vault Hemingway?

Well, I don't know about favorite because favorite would be like anarchal, right?

It's anarchal for you guys.

Yeah, you know, like favorite might be somewhere really easy, like, no, the

most intense places, yeah, or just which one are you get out there and you're like, man, this is freaking majestic.

How about that?

Let's use that word.

This is why you have like

such a different audience of like so many different areas of stuff because like you use big words too.

Oh, you know, like, yeah, you're educated.

Majestic.

M-U-H.

Majestic place.

Yeah.

What's a big thing?

Melan Stadium in Tennessee is like

amazing.

Like, it's just

like when we would bring recruits there, it is majestic.

Like, there you go.

Like, and then at night, and then there's the river and the boats, and then the intensity in there.

So I was the head coach here at O Miss, and we went to play at Tennessee, and it was like on from warm-ups like everyone was there over a hundred thousand people and there was like this hatred

towards me like i felt like the gladiator to the movie you know like i was they were getting ready for like a thumbs down you know like let's kill them yeah and then it like and it's probably 12 000 people are carrying weapons in there at that time they had a real conversation with me during the week about bulletproof vests like

i'm like there's no way guys come on man it's football and they're like they had like three cops with me and everything.

Like,

it's deer season.

So they ain't going to really do that.

Maybe like a golf ball.

You know, they're going to throw at me or a bottle or something.

Yeah.

So they're walking in and I was like, this is awesome.

Yeah.

Like now I could feel.

Ooh.

Yeah.

They were like chanting like, you know, like fuck Lane Keffin.

Yeah.

Like that was actually like felt kind of like intense and cool.

Like 100,000 people chanting that.

Oh, yeah.

If a bunch of people hate you at once, it's easier to go.

It's easier to digest and then they're like the student section was like hey you know last night we were with your wife and I was like yeah that's pretty funny like to come up with stuff you know like so it was intense and it was like

and it just kept building so maybe like everybody didn't hate me at the beginning but then you know it's like a crowd like storm they feel it and then the hatred just kept building and then it was like really close game at the end and then we won you guys won yeah and then they got pissed and they like threw things at me like golf ball and like like anything they could get like mustard school books which we need in tennessee first of all they didn't they didn't have school books oh okay no mustard bottles oh like how do you even have a mustard bottle like you just brought that to the game like hey hey home we're gonna like go to the game and sneak the mustard bottle oh you're in the damn condiment belt over there isn't mustard free like

like are you saving money Oh, you should see where they keep their relish at, brother.

And the golf, like, and I was like, they throw this golf ball that became famous That, like, they throw it at me, and I'm like, afterwards, I'm like, okay,

muster, like, okay, what am I sneaking in to the game?

A golf, like, what do you have a golf ball for?

Like, I'm carrying a golf ball because I don't think they're thinking I'm going to throw it.

Like, I'm going to be pissed off in the fourth quarter and throw it.

Right.

They just had it on them.

Yeah.

But then I looked closer.

There's a range ball.

So I feel like, you know what it was?

It's like the cheap guy that like steals the range ball.

So like, okay, this way I like have these to hit.

Like, you know, instead of like having to buy a golf ball.

So I'm going to steal the range ball ball like for next time I go and play around so it was just in his pocket that was my guess

I think that's probably accurate oh there you are right there with it oh that's pretty cool yeah

um

did you keep that yeah you still have it I did hell yeah dude that's cool how scary is it how quick do you want to get off the field when you beat a team in their stadium

is there a weird energy there for a little like is it kind of

that one was yeah Yeah, that one definitely was.

Most of the time, it's not really.

Sometimes I kind of like it, you know, like kind of walk off a little slow, you know, just so like you feel the like that win that you just like ruined 100,000 people's like, especially in the SEC, like week, not just day.

Oh, yeah.

Their traffic home.

Yeah,

that's a lot.

And especially a woman who was going to give birth that week because her husband would be in a good mood.

And now they got off, she's got to hold it another week.

That's the toughest part.

Like, hey, we, we cannot have, we lost this week.

Yeah, we ain't having a baby under these circumstances.

Keep it in there.

Yeah, yeah,

hold along.

We got Baming next week.

We win that.

You can have a Saturday night.

We'll get that thing out.

We'll do the tush push.

That'll help.

What's one of the most aggravating traditions that you think, and what's one of the best traditions you think in college football?

If you're even up on them, I know there's a few of them out there.

Well, this is like a big tradition, like as far as everywhere, not specific places.

Like I love the band thing, you know, before, like, it's just.

Really cool when they have the band out there and they spell things.

Speaking of the Tennessee, the opening of the T and then run out like that was really cool to like see that you're like right there and then like the band just opens up the t and you run out like that's that's a really cool tradition

um and is there one that's kind of aggravating you see at a place somewhere it could be sec or anywhere

um

the fan storming thing is a little bit tough you know like

They don't do it in the NFL.

They found a way like, I get it.

It's pretty cool.

But then it can be aggravating because they're storming and like,

and you're worried about like them hitting you.

What's going on?

What are they going to do?

It's like very,

very invasive at that point.

But

I think if they could just let everybody out and then let the fans out so they still get to tear the goalposts down because that stuff's cool and stuff.

Yeah.

Yeah, I was at that old, at the Alabama Vanderbilt game, and that was pretty sick.

And some guy on the sidelines squeezed me so hard, bruised one of my ribs really bad or dislocated it, right?

So I was like,

doing like that or whatever.

And then every other player kept hugging me.

So it was just

one after another, just the biggest guys you ever even seen, just hugging you.

Yeah, they're all excited.

Yeah.

And it was just, oh, dude, it was, that was a really tough day.

That was a tough year, actually.

That took about eight weeks to get better from.

Yeah, but you were at a historic like moment.

It was so cool.

That will probably never happen to her again.

Let me see.

Is it once in a lifetime?

Well, Diego Javier got that sixth year, that eighth year, I think he got.

Yeah, you never know.

Did that, were you surprised when he got that?

Did it affect any of the way that, were your players able to apply for anything like that?

We tried.

We didn't win it.

Jackstar actually tried to get another year or at least see if the option was there.

And,

you know, they denied it.

Okay, there we are.

We iced that dude up.

Clark Lee.

Good dude.

I like Clark.

Yeah.

He is.

He's cool, good guy.

They got a fun group over there.

And that's kind of an underdog energy over there, too, you know?

Big time.

Is there an SEC team that you also cheer for on the low?

Kind of?

Them.

I do.

Yeah, Vanderbilt.

Because I think they have like so much stacked against them.

You know, like they got higher academic qualifications to get guys in.

So they can't just get all the players.

Everybody else can, you know, like

harder, you know, because the stadium's usually half full and stuff.

So

I root for them, especially Clark, because that's a hard job.

Yeah.

And so that's pretty cool for them to win like they did this year.

Yeah, it's exciting over there.

Yeah, they carry the goalpost and then they tried to valet park the goalpost.

I heard they got tired of it or whatever.

I didn't know that.

And they tried to valet them at a restaurant.

I'm like, you can't, you can give it to those three guys up front or whatever.

Like, that's crazy.

Yeah, but that might be the only like SEC town that has valet.

That's a good thing.

That's like when you say that, that doesn't feel valet in most seas count.

Valet.

That's a great point, dude.

Spell valet.

Yeah.

Yeah.

They tried to valet him at a, um, I think at uh at a McCormick and Schmix or something over there.

So definitely kind of interesting.

Um,

I want to talk about uh Coach Sabin.

You worked with Coach Sabin for a while.

I mean, you guys have had like kind of a storied history over the years, I think.

Um, have you, you guys still communicate?

Yeah, yeah, we do.

Um, he's not a big like text guy, um,

but we talk every once in a while.

Um,

is he what is he's not texting?

He's like to write, is he more written kind of or?

No, you got to call him.

Okay.

Um, he did just learn how in the last like two years to text.

He had never texted before.

Wow.

Ever.

Like when there's, I was assisting Coach Sarah.

And he's just like, I'm not texting.

Like, he just refused.

It was like that old school.

Like, he's got those old school things that aren't changing.

And,

and then I like got a text like two years ago from that said, good luck or something like that.

And I was like, to the group, I was like, dude, I got a saving text.

Like, this is amazing.

This is like underbelt beating Alabama.

Like, this isn't supposed to happen.

Never thought I'd see this day.

And

then Kirby's like, yeah, I, I got one earlier this year too.

Like he's like learned how to text, just like you get one or two words.

But, um,

but that relationship's like

almost in a way, kind of like how you can struggle sometimes, like maybe when you're in it with like a parent and then you get out, like you get older and you get away, you get out of the house.

Yeah.

And then you're like, dang, man, he, he was on to something.

He was right.

on those things.

So I look back as I was there for three years and there was friction initially.

And I look back to all my my phone.

I'm the assistant.

You know what I mean?

Yeah.

He's the head coach.

Whatever he says goes.

Oh, yeah.

You're supposed to keep it classy over there.

Yes.

And that's not his way is very like, this is the way.

Like, there's not open discussions about it and stuff.

And I was, I'd worked for Pete Carroll as assistant.

So that's all I knew.

And

it's just totally different.

So like you come in, you have an open conversation, and you're questioning the process.

No, I just was asking, like, have we looked at this?

You know, like, so so i didn't really know how it worked right away and so it took a little bit of time like he didn't want a lot of suggestions no no no no it's not like a suggestion box like hey let me pull this oh here here's a good idea you know like so it was um

it was just something i wasn't used to that way and so it took a little bit of time but now that i look back i'm like okay he was

so strict on everything kind of like in a parent way like with his team with the players coaches like nothing nothing changed even we won national championship and there's there's 7.30 staff meeting the next morning.

I'm like, what are we meeting on at 7.30 the next morning?

He's like, we're behind.

You know, because we won the championship, everybody else is recruiting and we're behind.

And I was like, well, what are we doing?

But now I look back and be like, that's why he is what he is.

It's why he was so great.

Cause it was like the standard never changed no matter what.

And then that took me some time to understand too, like when you, when we were winning, and playing really well and coaching really well, he was harder on you because he didn't want you to have relief syndrome.

You know, like, oh man, we, we've made it.

And I didn't really call it that syndrome.

I saw, he was on the pivot like a month ago and I listened to it with my son Knox, and he talked about it in there.

He'd never explained it to us,

but it was interesting to hear and he said, most people are born with a relief syndrome.

He wasn't.

He just always had this way of thinking like, hey, you never relax, like, but most people are.

So he went above and beyond to make sure people didn't have that.

Like, we'd win a game, and then he comes in and just like rips us.

Yeah, they're like, man, we played great, like, coach, great.

That was because he was guarding against that because he knew that that could happen.

Dang, yeah,

he wasn't letting anything be a possibility.

When I left, we'd won 26 straight games, so I only hadn't had many losses.

But I do remember the three losses that we had over the three years.

Like,

he actually, after those,

was calm.

Like, that's when we didn't get ripped because he's like,

they're going to get ripped anyway.

I don't need to, you know, like, I need to, when they're feeling good about themselves, bring him down.

So, um, I didn't really understand that at first.

And now I look back going, man, he was, there's a reason he's the greatest.

Wow.

Yeah.

Do you regard him as the greatest?

Yeah.

I do.

I think because,

you know, the Bear Bryants, the like.

Legends back then, no offense, they had like unlimited scholarships.

Coach Saban did an an error where there were reduced scholarship numbers.

He also did an error when you're losing coaches left and right.

You know, he lost so many assistant coaches and he just kept winning.

And I don't think anybody will ever be able to do that again.

And

he couldn't even do that again.

The way that it's going anyway, and now this with the money part and all that stuff, that's like evening things out that people can't stack the teams

like he did.

Because now your second team and third teams, maybe before where they had to sit there and wait, they couldn't leave back then.

Now they leave.

So you lose your backups because someone gives them more money.

But how is he able to convince players to sit there, be just as good and sit second or third position?

That's tough, I feel like.

Yeah.

Well, that's what I'm saying.

Part of his time, they couldn't leave yet.

Oh, you couldn't transfer.

Now you can transfer

twice a year.

So he still was able at the end to convince some guys to stay, but he started losing back so the teams weren't as deep.

Did he have to recruit the whole time?

Or at a certain point, did the acumen of their coach, of their winning just be the recruiter for him, do you think?

That helped a lot, but he never changed.

That was him.

Like, there was no relief.

It never changed.

Like, he recruited every day, no matter what.

And he was non-stop and he was relentless.

People always say, okay, well, why did he win so many championships?

Why was he so good?

And then it's like, well, there's the process.

There's the assistant coaches.

There's the discipline, all these different areas.

But really, the number one thing that mattered the most, he out-recruited people.

He got better players.

When you get better players, you win a lot of games.

And it wasn't, they weren't just coming there just to come there.

They came there because he recruited really hard.

Got it.

Did he, what was he like?

I mean, did you ever get to spend any time with him?

Like, was he good at cards or anything like that?

Or did he do anything else besides, like, did he ever take his whistle off, you think?

Like, even in the shower, you know?

Coach didn't do a lot of other things.

I know he golfed.

I never golfed with him, but he golfed.

Did he ever invite you?

Did he ever dress up for Halloween?

Like, was there anything you ever saw Coach Saban do that was like

felt a little bit more not as much like

who's that guy, Robert Downey Jr.?

What's the character he plays?

Iron, that was outside of Iron Man, you know?

It's interesting, you know, Nick Saban, and people would joke Nick Satan.

You know, he was born on Halloween.

Was he really?

His birthday every year was Halloween.

Oh, yeah.

So maybe his whole freaking existence was a costume maybe

but he did not there was not he wasn't gonna wear a costume or something like that on halloween so that there was no like

he didn't have like halloween parties and stuff on your own birthday even put on a little cattail or something

because it was no day was different every day was the same wow i will say this i went to easter one time at his house and

My kids, they were still living in California with my wife.

And because I took the Alabama job, and then they came for Easter.

Yeah.

And he invited us over.

And

we went over there.

And he was different.

Now, he didn't put on like a bunny costume, but like he was helping the kids with like the Easter eggs.

And he had one grandkid at the time.

And he was like carrying around.

And like, and it was totally different than the office Nick Saban that we would see all the time.

You know, like, so that was pretty cool to see that side of him.

Now, he's also so competitive that he, his grandkid was like one, and all of a sudden the grandkid found the golden egg, you know, like

while he was with coach way over there, you know, so coach also was going to make sure that he won.

Yeah.

But it was pretty cool to see him like that.

Yeah.

Yeah.

You got to be different.

You can't, when Jesus is making a comeback, you can't play defense on that day.

You know, that's when you got to just call the dogs off, I feel like.

But it is definitely skeptical that a one-year-old found a golden egg.

Was he playing against other kids like of age children?

Yeah, mine were like eight, ten, and twelve.

Oh, God.

That's sad.

But yeah, winners win, you know, that's what they say.

Do you think that Coach Sabin misses coaching?

I do.

I think that, and he mentioned that in that Pivot podcast, but I did always think, okay, if he was going to do this, he was going to have to have, and I, and I used to say he's going to have to kind of have that college game day spot because he's going to want to still like be involved.

You know, he's just so wired to all day long to do something for his entire life now he ain't he

he's not gonna sit around and just you know be a grandpa yeah that's not him um so i think because of that that's helped a lot i wouldn't actually be surprised if he came back in the nfl even you know as head coach um because he just he's so good at it and so in him that um i'm not sure he won't come back

what um I want to talk about the NIL, and then I want to talk about your team and Old Miss here.

Does

God have sound like a sports guy or something?

What are you not even doing?

Yeah, you're getting really like

going into this,

we were going to go a lot of different directions, and now you've come back to like, I think people have probably turned off by now.

I know.

Oh, dude, hey, tell us about your

depth at safety this year.

How do you guys feel about third down package?

Nobody wants to hear that.

I don't know.

My first down package is pretty small.

I'll tell you that.

That's an old wiener joke.

She didn't know it.

Here we we go now you were more there we go yes they're turning back on i want to tell you about the like nil do you have to spend more time recruiting players or boosters these days with nil

yeah um a lot of booster part um because they got to get the resources to pay now that's going to get a little bit moved now with revenue sharing and um coming from the school but these last few years has been okay well the boosters have to create these collectives and have to source the money to pay the players.

So if you don't have the money, you know, the payroll, it's hard to get players.

And if you see, it's not hard.

Look at

who just won in basketball, the programs that made the final four.

Look at what, you know, the final four college football teams, like they're major programs that have a lot of financial resources.

So

yeah, you got to, you got to do a lot of that.

And then you got to convince the players.

Now,

where it's different is the old school, unfortunately, kind of, the old school recruiting of the relationships and having a relationship three years since the kid was a a sophomore in high school and stuff.

That's not as important anymore because now I'm like, okay, well, what are you paying me?

You know, this school is this, this school is this, this school is this.

And most of them usually go to the higher, the higher number.

And is that just a real question out of the gate?

Is what is the offer?

Yeah.

Wow.

And do most of them have agents or they have to do that directly by themselves?

Yeah, they now.

It's now just transitioned to where most of them have agents.

Oh, that's trash.

It's really,

you know, we're in my office right here, so I sit here all the time and the recruits sit over there where your guys are.

And the parents, and I said this to our staff the other day, like, I've sat in so many of these meetings, like, whatever, say, the last hundred.

And you know, I never hear anymore, what's your graduation rate?

I never hear anymore, like, what's the academic plan?

And it's just kind of sad.

These are the parents.

It just is what it is.

And then I go, okay, well, when's our NIL meeting?

Yeah.

What's the number?

What's the second year number?

Like, I'm not mad about it, but it's just kind of sad.

Yeah, you just recognize it.

And I'm also recognizing it to say,

I don't believe long term that's good for the kids.

So this, this has been great for players to make some money, but it's so much money and it's so much focus on the money that then it's like, okay, well, then what's next?

If I'm already getting the money when I'm 18, then what?

Right.

You've seen this all the time.

People get too much too early.

And then what?

They crash.

So crash out.

Yes.

And I feel like we're creating a lot of that in this.

And now a kid's sitting there listening to his parents at, you know, they want to know the money.

Like,

so what's the kid supposed to want to know?

Yeah, it's crazy.

I agree.

That's bonkers, dude.

I, yeah, if I'd have had some money, I'd have fucking left school the second you gave me that chat.

I'd have driven across country and got me some damn dope, boy.

But I'm sure at that time you thought, man, if I just had a million dollars, man, I'd have no problems.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Then life would be great.

I heard all the time with these players.

If I just get money, man.

Players, I hear it from adults.

If I get money, man, all my problems, then I'll be good.

Okay.

We'll see.

We'll see.

And I go in the homes and recruiting over all these years.

I see the most problems in the families with the most money.

Most money, most success.

And then I don't feel any warmth in that room.

I don't feel the connection with the kids.

Like, and then I'll go to a house here in Mississippi or Louisiana.

You know, and there'll be 10 people living in this two-bedroom house.

And you just feel like the warmth and like the closeness and everything.

And they ain't got hardly anything financially,

but then they have this love and this family.

And

I've just done this for a long time, and I see it usually the other way around.

Bigger the houses, the more cars, the more money,

the more problems.

Yeah.

Yeah, that's what they said.

Jay-Z said it, didn't he?

Biggie said it.

Somebody, yeah, whoever said it got murdered, I remember that.

You know, April is financial literacy month.

And that makes me think, well, how did I first learn about money?

Well, I guess,

well, I got a little job that a lady paid me to catch these cats she had, and she gave me a little bit of money.

And I would take that money and I would store it.

I had one of those crown royal.

bags, one of the purple bags that came in, and I'd put all my money in there and save it.

Today's episode is sponsored by Acorns.

April is Financial Literacy Month.

That's right.

They made a whole month reminding you to finally take control of your money.

Good news is you don't need 30 days.

Acorns makes it easy to start saving and investing for your future in just five minutes.

And you don't need to be an expert.

Acorns will recommend a diversified portfolio that matches you and your money goals.

You don't need to be rich.

Acorns let you get started with the spare money you've got right now, even if all you've got is spare change.

I've got it set up for my nieces and nephews so they can learn how to save.

Sign up now and join the over 14 million all-time customers who have already saved and invested over $25 billion with Acorns.

Plus, Acorns will boost your new account with a $20 bonus investment.

Offer available at acorns.com/slash slash tho that's acorns.com slash tho to get your 20 bonus investment today.

This is a paid non-client endorsement.

Compensation provides incentive to positively promote acorns tier four compensation provided.

Investment involves risk.

Acorns advisors LLC and SEC registered investment advisor.

The important disclosures at acorns.com slash T-H-E-O.

This summer, I'm going to get to the beach.

I'm going to get out there and let the sun hug on my body.

That's what I'm going to do.

And if I get dehydrated, I know what I'm going to do as well.

Liquid IV.

If you're prepping for a big summer, means planning to stay hydrated so you can get the most out of your body and live more during those warm summer months.

Visit liquidiv.com and maximize your summer plans with sugar-free hydration featuring the new raspberry lemonade hydration multiplier.

I love liquid IV.

They got them true to fruit flavors that keep you hydrated like acai berry and lemon lime and pina colada.

Break the mold and your own ritual.

Get ready for summer with extraordinary hydration from Liquid IV.

Get 20% off your first order of Liquid IV when you go to liquidiv.com and use code Theo at checkout.

That's 20% off your first order with code T-H-E-O at liquid IV.com.

What's one of the biggest things that keeps players that are good players from succeeding?

Do you find?

Their minds.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

A lot of them run fast, jump, throw, and it's their minds and then getting in their own way.

You know, and then here comes this.

Now you got money too.

But here comes this ego coming in because I'm a five-star.

I got all these scholarship offers, like the entitlement of that, and the ego comes in and out.

Now they got the money, too.

So it's like they had this drive to get to the NFL because they want to play in the NFL and they want to get the money.

Well, I'm getting the money already.

So now that's now I've lost some drive there.

Right.

And they just get in their own ways, you know, and

they get so much attention so early and so much.

And then it's like they just think it's going to last forever.

Yeah.

And they just like, they just screw it up.

So they get in their own ways.

Got it.

And it's usually that one word ego.

What's the craziest thing a player has ever asked you for?

It's like point blank.

Have they ever been like, I need a,

give me a Jaguar coach or something like that?

Like the animal or the car?

Not the animal.

I wouldn't say crazy.

Like, I don't have a good story, like a crazy thing, you know, like.

But

it just what continues to blow my mind nowadays is

they want more when they haven't done anything new.

Meaning like, okay, here's what I got.

I got this to come, you know, to transfer to come out of high school.

And then they come in like, okay, well, I need more.

And I'm like, well, you didn't do anything.

Like,

you didn't have a good year.

Well, why, why would you get more?

Like, it's just that mindset of like, I just deserve more.

Like, I deserve more and more because there's no, there's no appreciation in there for where they're at.

Or like, man, I got to play better to get more.

Just, I'm supposed to get more.

And that happens all the time.

There's two transfer portal windows.

So, like, if you could negotiate your contract twice a year, every year, but then for six months, you haven't done a show.

You haven't done anything, but after that six-month period, you want a new contract and a new deal bigger than what you had, but you hadn't done anything.

Yeah.

Or maybe you screwed the shows up

through interceptions, but you still want more.

So it's just, and it's not even their fault because the parents, now you got agents.

Like,

do you still feel like a coach or do you feel like a banker more?

It's not really like a banker, but you spend so much time not coaching.

And I think that's part of the Nick Saban and, you know, getting out.

It's just like, it just changed, you know, because these conversations and these things, and you see the like greed for it, you know, like,

but it's, it's a,

it's unique because from someone that's been fortunate to make money, have success, get to the highest levels, like,

it's like I keep trying to tell them, like, that's not going to be the answer.

Right.

Like that new contract, getting that much more money isn't going to change anything.

You're not going to, you know, be happier because, but it's like they don't.

You can't hear it.

Yes.

Kids can't hear it.

Cannot.

I can sit in these two chairs right here to some, some, most of them, some will, but most of them, and they just look at me like, there's no way.

I'm like, listen to me, until you fix these internal problems, until you fix how you think that everybody's against you or whatever it is, these issues that they each have.

And I'll try to like work through them.

I'm like, that, that money, that new contract, that next car, that next girl, like, that's not going to fix that.

And like,

if I get picked in the first round, I got that contract, everything is fixed.

Yeah.

Coach, I don't care what you say.

Type shit.

Trust me.

Yeah, they say it's all a rap.

That's, yeah.

Everybody thinks they'll have it figured out.

I get more bands.

It's good.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Oh, yeah, boy.

give me a grand right now.

That's all I need.

I run a 50 right now.

I run a 6, 150.

How fast is that?

6, 150.

We don't really grade in 50.

You mean 40?

I don't know.

That's good.

You confuse people.

Yes.

It might be good.

It might be bad.

I don't know what I'm doing.

I don't know if it's slow or fast.

6, 150.

So, what is some of your push for players to come here to old miss CDs?

Like, what is it?

You know, what do you sell them on about being here?

Yeah, this is a really cool place to go to school.

And so I got to see that as a parent.

My daughter, Landry, is a sophomore here.

So, oh, yeah, I've seen her on TikTok before.

I've seen y'all on there doing makeup or whatever.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Like, just like I said, the social media thing, I kind of live like a young person in a lot of ways.

Like, just

enjoy.

Yeah.

You know, like, I just try to have a lot of people.

And I'm like, again, back to a lot of people.

You're supposed to be old.

He's supposed to be an adult.

Like, you can't do like a makeup TikTok with your daughter.

And I'm like,

I'm going to be gone someday.

I'm going to be dead or i'm gonna be at the end of it you know those last couple years you think i'm gonna be like man i wish i wouldn't have yeah you think i'm gonna be like man i wish i wouldn't have done that with my daughter because some fans think that's like i'm soft

yeah dude i think a lot of also a lot of i bet four of the first round picks this year will be wearing blush

Like now they're wearing like nail polish.

Oh, half them wearing nail polish, eyeliner, booty liner.

Some guy had on the other day they caught him.

Some guy, I think, that played for Northwestern or Nichols State or something.

And I'm like, what is that?

Who's putting rouge on their butt cheeks?

You know, so I think you're way safe here, Coach.

But that's just kind of like how I like, I, and I don't know, you like, it seems like you have that too, where it's kind of like, man, we're supposed to be grown up and there's certain aspects we are, but then these other areas, it's like, what's wrong with, with having youthful fun and you know, like we go out and play pickleball and somebody's like, I see some old people look at me like, man, he's playing out there with his kids and like he's like dancing to the music you know to like taylor swift playing or something you know like i'm like why just because i'm like getting older i'm not supposed to like have fun yeah you know or like when you come to yoga in the morning and like we're crushing you in yoga and i'm kind of like dancing back like talking shit celebrating over you like And if that happens in the morning, you might crush it in the morning.

I don't know.

I mean, look, I don't want to, I don't want to have to do yoga or have to wear a cleats is the only thing that I'm doing.

There's no cleats.

Okay.

No cleats.

No socks even.

But no, I think you're right, man.

Yeah.

I think, well, it also goes back to what you said.

It's like, you know, you don't like to follow this old playbook about things.

You like to have this new playbook about things.

What's kind of like part of that that you offer your players or people that want to come down here?

Do you sell them like, hey, this is a team that's like, this is a program that's obviously it's gone, you know, the trajectory has gone up, you know, especially in the past five years for sure, in the past decade.

Yeah, what do you kind of push them on?

How do you get players to come here to Old Miss?

Because it's always been a little bit more of the underdog in the SEC.

Yeah.

I think the kids really like, we create an atmosphere that you want to be at not have to same with our employees you know like i feel like in the morning if you ask them when they're getting up and they're driving their cars over whether it's players or staff like they want to be here yeah the gm had a damn zen in i think yeah yeah he does he's working on it yeah he's trying to quit he's trying to quit some other things yeah he's i love we've all been through thanksgiving

yeah

but that atmosphere of comfortable and like the players like i've been around both and i've been around as an employee where you're miserable driving in like, oh, another day.

Like, and it's just like, to me, you're not very productive that way.

Like, I want our players to come here and like, they play their own playlists, like, in practice and stuff.

You know, like, it's a players team with discipline, but the same thing around the office.

Like, people, we don't even have hours.

Like, you don't even have like, you leave when you're done with your work.

You know, you don't have like, okay, you leave at this time.

Um, because then people just sit there and guard their desk until the time goes.

So I just try to create an atmosphere that people really want to be at.

And they have a lot of fun doing it.

And it's really, to me, it's awesome if you can win and have fun.

Because some programs, like they win, but they're still miserable.

And I've seen that.

So we try to create this atmosphere.

And I think people love it.

Is it tough to be like a coach and a dad?

Because you have three children, right?

And is it tough to be like a coach and a dad and a coach and a husband?

Like, what's that?

What is the cross of like those jobs like for a coach?

Because it takes a lot of time.

Yeah.

I think like a lot of questions I answer them differently now than I did five ten fifteen years ago

I think you know as I look back and I use my failures and experiences now it's awesome because I get to use to help others yeah and I help our players when they're going through it so I like that I had a lot of stuff happen to me or self-inflicted stuff.

Oh, yeah.

That like

I struggled for a long time.

But then as as I like now see, like I get to help like, cause a coach knows my story or players know and they come in and I can help them with things.

Like when you say, okay, how to like the balance of a husband, father, and head coach.

Well, I failed at that because

I, as a head coach, like I was a head coach, Tennessee, USC, and I was like, that was my higher power.

And I'm the head coach, USC.

Yeah.

That's who I am.

Not like, oh, I'm a husband, not I'm a father.

Like that became my higher power.

That was the most important thing to me.

And

I could feel it because I'd be like, ooh, we'd win.

So then, like, the LA Times Sunday morning, man, Coach Lane Kiffin, you know, like, and like, well, what do you want?

And I remember him asking me, like, what do you want someday?

I'm like, a statue,

like Nick Saban.

Because then I made it.

Like, they built a statue of me because I won so many games and championships.

Yeah.

That's what I want.

But I was totally missing it.

Because if you ask me that now, what do you want?

You know what I want?

I want to be a really good dad.

I want to be a really good boss, a really good friend, a really good neighbor.

The other stuff happens with the wins.

That's fine.

But I was so focused on that that

it controlled everything.

I just slept at the office all week long because we had to win.

That's all that matters.

And like John Daly used to sleep at a Hooters.

Yeah, that was a little different.

Yeah, that's true.

It's very different.

He worked there.

But it's not like he was, you know, working on chipping at Hooters.

Yeah.

Short game.

Yeah, you're right.

That's a good point.

So I don't know why I said that, but yeah, people sleep at the office.

Yeah.

I think John Dale Daly still goes to Hooters for like John Daly two-hour signing special.

I love JD, by the way.

Oh, he's awesome, dude.

He's awesome.

No, we talk about him every single week.

There he is right there, huh?

Yes.

Yeah.

Oh,

he's got that two-pack

right there.

Boy, he's off a couple of honey packs right there.

Look at him.

Yeah,

that's where I won't comment, head coach.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

So anyway, so that's where this failure came in because it was like, okay, if you're going to put all, if this is going to be the most important thing to you, then I like look back and shoot, no wonder like I ended up getting divorced.

No wonder that, you know, I ended up having a strained relationship with my kids.

And then I kind of figured this out.

later on and started going, okay, wait, wait, wait a second.

This is just part of who I am, you know, being a coach.

And then I started to work on the other areas of my life.

Got sober from a lot of things, really.

Just

not just physical sober, like stop drinking, but like emotionally sober, you know, like, and that's still a constant battle working on that.

Like, and things not making me go way up, way down, like every day.

But, and people say, okay, well, what do you do?

You don't drink.

Like, what do you do like Thursday night?

And I was like,

what's replaced that is like amazing, like going to dinner with Landry or watching a movie with her friends.

Like, you know, like, you just, I just had this shift and it really helped me.

And actually, I'm a better coach out of it, which you wouldn't think would be.

Like, because you think, okay, well, if you put everything into it, but then you lose balance and you're just kind of off.

And

everything is so defined on a win or loss that, like, it's everything.

I remember like losing a really, really

important game.

And I remember at a time, like, seeing why she's like, and I'm like, I don't want to wake up.

We actually lost to USC.

We lost to Texas.

We were in our third straight national championship and lost in the Rose Bowl National Championship.

Vince Young couldn't tackle him.

And I'm like, I don't want to wake up tomorrow.

She's like, what is wrong with you?

We had one kid at the time, Landry.

And she's like, you have a kid.

Like, you have a whole life.

Like, we lost the game.

third straight national championship.

How long is it going to take to ever get there again?

Yeah.

But I was just so out of whack on that

because that's, I mentioned earlier, that the ego had gotten so big when I became a head coach and all the money and success and attention that like it just built and like you got to keep feeding it.

And so it's really been cool to get out of that spot.

Yeah.

And what do you attribute to helping you get out of it probably?

Lifestyle change.

You know, I came to Mississippi and

decided like, okay, I started eating order food, not working out.

Like, um, and I just was like, man, I'm not the best version of myself.

I didn't have this like rock bottom moment, you know, that people have sometimes.

I just was like, man, I don't really like this lower version of myself.

I want to be the highest version of myself.

So I changed my diet.

I stopped the alcohol.

I started working out.

And really, what I started to do is to pour into other people instead of just pouring into myself.

Dang, coach, you're making me feel bad about my life, bro.

You're younger than me.

You still get there.

It's a daily battle.

It is, man.

And especially that emotional sobriety.

That's my biggest issue, dude.

I mean,

I have a certain emotion and I get literally drunk off of it or high off of it.

Or the other way, I get depressed.

It's like, it's like those are like my drugs a lot of times.

Any feeling that I have.

I'm still there.

Like that's a daily battle.

God, boy.

And I really got honest after the physical sobriety after a couple of years of, okay, well, okay, I got really healthy, working out all the time.

I don't drink, but it was like okay but i still was letting people situations like

man well that that went my way so everything's good yeah you know like oh that didn't go that way we lose that recruit or have an argument with this person and like everything's terrible and i was like man and i had somebody tell me like just remember the tide goes in and out every day like it's going to

And like, do you just get freaked out by that?

Or you're just like, hey, the tide came in, tide went out.

And so I really try to do that because like, I'll do the yoga.

Everything's good, man.

And then I'll come in here and then this player has this issue, you know, or a kid has this issue, you know, and then it's like, or this doesn't go this way.

Especially like if you're like me, which I feel like you are from your last answer when somebody doesn't do what you want them to do.

Like, wait,

everything would be good, man.

If he just wouldn't say that.

Sorry, I don't believe this.

If she does this, if he does that, and they do that, I'll be good.

Yeah.

Well, wait, they don't?

And it never is going to happen.

It's just total unrealistic expectations of what I have a lot of times.

Yeah.

And that's one of my biggest things is unrealistic expectations.

Like expecting the tide not to come in.

Yes.

That's what it would be.

I want everybody to do things exactly.

I want to expect that people know how I want things done after I haven't shared how I want them done.

That's my biggest thing.

Like expecting somebody to know what I want them to do, but I've never even told them exactly what I want.

Yeah.

That's, and that's a crazy person would think that way.

So yeah.

Or I did this.

I'm not doing it.

And then they don't deal.

And then they don't, they don't act how I want them to act after what I did.

Yeah, haven't I been, haven't I, have you been, haven't I shared with you?

Yeah.

Yeah.

But there is a major problem that when you become and you're in charge of a company, your head coach, you know, like, and all the people are working for you.

So your whole day, they really are doing what you want.

And then now in your personal life, outside of maybe somebody doesn't do what you want, and then you lose your mind.

That's where I was off with the emotional part.

Yeah.

You know, and had to like work on that part.

Yeah.

I can't imagine how we to be a coach.

It would be hard.

I can't even coach myself.

Oh, so you've really taken the Oxford coach.

I noticed that.

Your son is moving here, right?

Is that true?

Yeah.

So

my daughter goes to school here.

Okay.

And she's a sophomore.

She's a sophomore.

Okay.

My other daughter's going to college at USC.

And then my son is moving here.

He's actually on his spring break here right now.

And he's moving here next month.

And he's going to go to Oxford High.

He is.

Nice.

And he plays football too or no?

He does.

Yeah.

Yeah.

a quarterback.

He's got a chance to be good.

So that'll be exciting to be able to watch all his games here.

And he's always up here working out with his buddies.

Oh, that's going to be great just to be around

that many other players and stuff.

It's awesome.

My dad was a coach.

I grew up as a coach's kid.

To be around those locker rooms and to be around those players and to learn from them,

it's so awesome and so motivating.

Yeah.

Do you have a good relationship with your dad?

I know your dad was Monty Kepen.

Yep.

And did you guys have a good relationship?

Amazing.

So he passed in July.

And

was he sick?

Was he pretty sick at the end of the day?

He had dementia.

And so he slowed down a lot.

But here's what's really cool.

You know, I'm just saying, like, the pain of discipline or the pain of regret.

Like,

we probably have the pain of regret from things we weren't disciplined at in life.

You know, if you look back, man, if I wouldn't have done that or like, I would have got,

you know, made different decisions.

So now I have the pain of.

the regret of that.

Yeah.

Well, I think a lot of times people with parents sometimes like when they pass, you know, they have the pain of regret.

Man, I wish I'd have been around him more.

I didn't go to see him.

Well, my dad worked for me all the way up till then at 84.

So all these last three stops, he was here in the building helping us coach.

Oh, that's cool.

So every day I would see him 15 times a day.

Oh, yeah.

And he was such a coach that like, even his doctor would say, that was keeping him alive because he could come into the office every day.

He was 84 years old with dementia, still coming in the office.

Yeah.

And he just was like, he was the ultimate coach, coach, the old school coach.

And so

I got to be with him every day, all the way up.

So, because of that, of bringing him to all the places, making sure he was at work every day and everything.

Like, that was here to miss.

Yeah.

Wow.

Yeah.

So, if you don't come here, who knows if that even setup is even kind of perfect for that?

Yeah.

But that's, that's where I've gotten to like,

who knows, who knows what's supposed to be perfect?

What, what I thought,

what we thought as our plan should be, I was like totally off.

Yeah.

You know, like, I like, I've been like, there's no way I'm going to like want to move to Oxford, Mississippi, have my kid go to college here, have my kid, other kid go to high school here and love it.

And now I do.

And who would have thought they would have ever wanted to come here?

Like, it's like,

you know, God's plan obviously makes a lot more sense than ours.

Because every time I take that and I'm like, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, maybe he wants it.

Let me turn that over here

my way.

This is what I want to happen.

Like, these people need to do this.

I need to go here.

I need to get that job.

Let me control everything, yeah, yeah.

And then, then it just doesn't work, it really doesn't.

And then, when I just, which is hard, and I just let go and just

let it go, and whatever's going to happen, it's going to happen, and

that tide's going to come in, it's going to go out, and I'll just float along with it.

The HOV lane, dude.

What, um, who caught that clipboard?

Do you know?

I don't know.

They brought it back, they did, yes, Mississippi Nice.

Oh, it's so sweet of them.

Told you, the people here are amazing.

God, that was great.

There's nothing as good as that.

Because it's like when the plays work, it's like a video game for me.

I feel like I'm playing a video game on the sideline.

So think like when you're playing a video game, you score a big touch and you throw your controller.

That's really what I'm doing.

He's still the kid in me right there.

Yeah.

You know, like throw my clipboard like your controller.

Out of the box,

you've had quite a life, you know, you start, you started kind of,

you know, you didn't start, but you kind of came on a lot of people's radar in coaching at the highest level, right?

Stepped back into college football.

You've been a player.

You've,

you know, you've had like you kind of a polarizing, people would say, type figure, very unique in your own way.

And I think after talking to you more, I learned a little bit more about how you operate.

So I can understand.

But what is like a message you would get?

You know, you've had, you've been through divorce, you've been through, you have children, you've had a lot of just experiences in your life.

What

for somebody out there who's getting into their middle age and is kind of struggling, um,

with having a setback or something, what is, what is something you think you would share with them from your experience or a thought or statement or?

Yeah.

Yeah.

I think that like they can do it.

Like these things happen, you know, in like these major obstacles that seem so horrible at the time, a divorce, firings.

Maybe you have a health scare, like these things that seem so terrible and they're really not.

they just feel like it in the moment and they're gonna pass and you're gonna actually look back later on and be glad for them like my kind of major thing was i got fired as a head coach of usc and like my career is over well if that wouldn't happen i wouldn't have gotten to work for nick saving for three years you know so like whatever those things are or yeah your career's been over like four times yeah that you can do it and it's actually

feels way better than like let's say you come up like i came up and got a lot of breaks because my dad and stuff and so it's like okay i got to the top.

Okay, well, that felt good.

But then to actually have it torn down and all taken away, some by circumstances, some by your own decisions, and rebuild from the bottom personally and professionally, it feels so much better.

It's like instead of buying the house, you build the house from the beginning.

And so just for people that are struggling in whatever one of those areas may be, like you can do it, but don't get overwhelmed.

Like it really is one day at a time.

Like, hey, just start working out out today, you know, or stop drinking today, you know, or start being a better person today, whatever those areas are.

Yeah, just today.

Just today, man, because the other stuff's overwhelming.

We don't know what's going to happen next week, let alone next month or next year.

And just be really good at it today.

Amen, man.

I needed to hear that.

Yeah, there's something I've been like, I just feel like kind of the world is in and because of something that's kind of like just work stuff.

And I'm like, what do I do?

But I just have to look at it as a challenge, adjust the perspective.

Zoom out.

Yeah.

Zoom out.

See, so watching my dad pass through and the last couple of years of dementia, but also watching him on what was important to him.

He'd been a head coach.

He'd been fired.

He'd been through all these.

It didn't matter.

Like what, whatever that is right now that you're struggling, it ain't gonna, you're gonna look back toward him and be like, what was I even like losing sleep for or having anxiety about that for?

Yeah.

It really ain't that big.

If you zoom out.

to later on you're gonna look back be like man that ain't that wasn't a big deal i'm glad it happened hotty toddy man.

Hotty Toddy.

Blaine Kiffen, thanks so much, dude.

I really appreciate it.

I hope that you stay as entertaining as ever.

And I'm glad that you're in the SEC, man.

It's one of the greatest conferences to watch.

And congratulations on what you guys have done here at Old Miss, man.

I want to thank my friend Scott Sackfield and Richie Heike who helped me think up questions today to talk about as well because they went to school here.

And yeah, I'm looking forward to spending, having a good show here tonight.

Yeah, excited for your show tonight.

We'll be there.

And our whole team's coming, actually.

Yeah, the whole team's coming.

Oh, Oh, dude.

Yeah, we told them in the team.

We had a team meeting today and said, We're going, we're going tonight.

We're like, We got you in free.

So, like, yes, because we don't have any money.

We're like, Wait, you make like a million dollars.

Like, these guys know that, but they still just want something for free.

Yeah,

we told them you're really funny and free because something to know you are.

At the end, they're still college students.

You just want something for free, you know.

Yeah, Lane Kiffin, thanks so much.

All right, man.

Now, I'm just folding on the breeze, and I feel I'm falling like these leaves.

I must be

cornerstone

Oh, but when I reach that ground I'll share this peace of mind I found I can feel it

in my bones

But it's gonna take

a little bit