A spectacular 2024 regular college season has come to a bittersweet conclusion. In a post-season slug, if you sit down and list all the controversial coaches throughout, Ole Miss mogul Lane Kiffin will undoubtedly come around the top. The veteran has had enough attention during an eye-opening season. Be it a steadfast, honest confession on not wanting to play the SEC championship game because of the risk of falling lower in case of a loss or putting the committee at fault for the lopsided CFP ranking, the Rebels head coach has been an absolute gossip magnet, no matter good or bad. Ole Miss is no longer fighting for a national title. They are done for the year, but there is no shortage of celebrations at the camp. Coach Kiffin’s smashing 5th year anniversary is underway.!

Ole Miss headed to the selection trail with a 9-3 record, which included a 5-3 score against SEC opponents. The season turned out to be a facultative reality for the Rebels. You can’t ignore their prominence if you look back to the impressive wins over South Carolina and Georgia, but on the other side, they took some ugly defeats under Florida, LSU, and Kentucky. The unforgettable 20-17 to Kentucky on Sept. 28 fell heavily on their playoff luck.

Compared to Alabama, they fell behind in the schedule of strength parameters. The horrible loss against the Tigers instantly triggered the viral fire Kiffin spree all over the internet. But amidst all the rollercoaster balls, the coach remains a power booster to his team and the players. His dedication, devotion, and contribution remain unmatched, passing the test of time. He marked his fifth-year anniversary with Ole Miss amidst the playoff heartbreak.

The coach probably had a smile while sharing the ‘thank you coach’ letter on his IG feed. You might be mad and think that a few field goals instead of 4th downs would have sent the Rebels into the playoff and called out the coach’s callousness for the same, it won’t devalue the storied coaching career of the 46-year-old at all.

He has always been a gifted recruiter and a brilliant offensive mind wherever he stepped on. Although controversy has been a recurring theme through the course of West Coast (NFL) Tennessee, USC, and Florida Atlantic, Alabama (not to mention the current stint at Ole Miss), he had some remarkable success under his belt.

It’s beyond debate that he has matured over the years, and more success awaits on the line. Also, he is one of the most disciplined coaches in the entire industry that you should look up to even beyond football.

Lane Kiffin has been a non-indulgent man inside and outside the field 

The obnoxious comments are useless. Call him a narcissist, ultimate antagonist, or whatever. He is himself, spontaneously, unapologetically. He has lived a life of purpose and it stretches beyond a winning or losing coach for a day on the gridiron. His value with football, with life, is infectious, and worth following.

In a reflective chat with ESPN’s Chris Low, the coach phenom gave fans a glimpse of his high-value lifestyle. ”When you’re making changes to be the best version of yourself, you learn to let go of control, to let go of your ego, to let go of the things that don’t matter,” Lane Kiffin said. “Everything I ever wanted was on the other side of letting go, which is the exact opposite of how you think because you think you can’t let go of anything. You’re not trained that way, especially in football.”

You can’t get him into the cliche of celebrating a win with champagne in his hand. ”Not drinking is just a part of my journey to where I am now, which is as fulfilling as I’ve been in coaching, and as important as all of that, is having peace and rhythm in my life,” the coach shed light on his way of leading a sober life.

Kiffin neither hesitates to put the committee on notice for unfair treatment nor holds back from pissing off fans, paying zero heeds to all the brickbats. ”There’s freedom of not having to have an acceptance of what some guy writes about you or what the fans think of you or if you’re on the hot seat,” Lane Kiffin nonchalantly confessed.

Such value, such unique standpoint, such consistency is bound to draw more, even if not immediately but definitely. Until then, Hotty Toddy, coach!