"It's a clusterf*ck": Travis Kelce doesn't hold back while calling out Lane Kiffin for throwing Ole Miss' season away for LSU job

Travis Kelce discussed Lane Kiffin’s decision to leave Ole Miss for LSU as the Rebels prepared for the postseason.

With Ole Miss (11-1, 7-1 Southeastern Conference) heading into the College Football Playoff, Kiffin’s exit created a staffing crisis. Kelce said on Wednesday that the fallout is exactly why the NCAA needs rules preventing midseason movements.

"I mean, there needs to be some sort of rule by the NCAA that you can't start looking for new job opportunities until after the season because Ole Miss is going to go into (the) College Football (Playoff) with someone's dad as a f*cking like, helper," Kelce said (Timestamp: 47:50), via the "New Heights" podcast.

"You know what? I mean, like, you don't just have extra coaches on the practice squad. You're just gonna have to gather up people from around the university or however you need to do it."

The retired NFL center described what happens when programs lose key staff members during major bowl games.

"We were at the f*cking Sugar Bowl with, like, guys, dads, helping with personnel on the sidelines," Kelce said. "It's a clusterf*ck, and it's definitely putting the team and the players at a disadvantage when you don't have your head coach, or your offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator, things like that."

Ole Miss players challenge Lane Kiffin’s claim about his exit after LSU move

Ole Miss players pushed back on Lane Kiffin’s statement on X on Monday. The coach said he and the team wanted him to keep coaching through the College Football Playoff after he accepted the LSU job.

"My request to do so was denied by (Ole Miss athletic director) Keith Carter, despite the team also asking him to allow me to keep coaching them so they could better maintain their high level of performance,” Kiffin tweeted.

Offensive lineman Brycen Sanders contradicted it.

“I think everyone that was in that room would disagree,” Sanders tweeted.

Linebacker Suntarine Perkins agreed.

“That was not the message you said in the meeting room. Everybody that was in there can vouch on this," Perkins tweeted.

suntarine perkins

@suntarine

That was not the message you said in the meeting room. Everybody that was in there can vouch on this .

Kiffin maintained that he hoped to coach the Rebels through the postseason.

“I was hoping to complete a historic six-season run with this year’s team by leading Ole Miss through the playoffs, capitalizing on the team’s incredible success and their commitment to finish strong, and investing everything into a playoff run with guardrails in place to protect the program in any areas of concern,” Kiffin tweeted.

Ole Miss has since promoted defensive coordinator Pete Golding. Meanwhile, Kiffin has begun recruiting and building his LSU staff.