Lane Kiffin knows how to own a moment. And at the Ole Miss Celebrity Softball event, he didn’t just coach it, he lived it. With a bat in his hand and one of Taylor Swift’s hits booming across the new Ole Miss Softball Stadium, the Rebels football HC stepped up to the plate and sent fans into a frenzy.

The summer heat in Oxford wasn’t the only thing sizzling. The Ole Miss Celebrity Softball event, the first of several events supporting The Grove Collective, packed in former Rebels stars, big-time coaches, and a crowd that came for fun but stayed for the drama. Yet, it was Lane Kiffin who stole the show, whose walk-out track of choice ignited Swiftie nation and college football in one swing. 

A fan posted on Instagram a reel of the Rebels HC making a clean hit on the field as Taylor Swift’s ‘Bad Blood’ played in the background. The caption read — “With Bad Blood for his walk out song 😂❤️,” And like the sport he is, he shared the post on his Instagram story on June 5, which turned heads. 

Lane Kiffin joined a host of Ole Miss’ coaches and legends like Dexter McCluster and Marshall Henderson at the new Ole Miss Softball Stadium. The teams also include several former players like Terence Davis, Donte Moncrief, Will Allen, and more. The event also saw the participation of Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics Keith Carter and Ole Miss basketball coach Chris Beard, and women’s basketball coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin. 

And speaking of Coach Yolett, she didn’t just show up. She had a moment with Lane Kiffin, and she pitched! In one viral X clip by Ole Miss Athletics, she fired a wild pitch to the football coach, which sailed past the catcher to the backstop. The crowd loved it. The game had all the chaos and charm you could expect when you toss football minds into a softball setting. It was competitive, but it was also about community. Every ticket sold funneled $2 straight into The Grove Collective, Ole Miss’ powerhouse NIL group supporting over 300 student-athletes across every sport. As for Lane Kiffin, he didn’t just vibe with Taylor Swift for the memes. There’s depth there. 

Lane Kiffin finds himself in Taylor Swift’s songs

Don’t get it wrong because there’s a more serious ring to this than it sounds. One year ago, Lane Kiffin told USA TODAY his favorite Swift track was ‘My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys’, reflecting on how those lyrics mirrored his journey. “It might be similar to my life’s path,” he said. Well, he once had it all—NFL head coaching gig, a rising star at USC, the glossy public image. Then came the falls. He was fired on a tarmac, got divorced from Layla Kiffin, and was under public scrutiny. And amidst these, maybe his affinity for Taylor Swift is bolstered by the coincidence that his oldest daughter, Landry Kiffin, shares a birthday with the pop star on December 13.

But his journey is a pure form of self-awareness that led to better endings. “Most of my rock bottoms were my own fault, my own self-destruction,” Lane Kiffin admitted. “But I now see that having to rebuild that in my personal life and in my career… in that process, I really got to actually figure myself out and learn myself, because I had to build it.” This isn’t the end, but the Rebels HC is already winning both on and off the field. He’s battled his addiction demons and reunited with his family as he aims for a CFP appearance in 2025. 

Maybe Lane Kiffin isn’t just a Swiftie for the soundtrack. Maybe he’s living out the plot twists in real time. And that is the kind of character arc that deserves a standing ovation.