Last season, the Ole Miss Rebels, led by head coach Lane Kiffin and quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, were heading towards the College Football Playoff as a legitimate National Championship contender.
Unfortunately, just before the playoff got underway, Kiffin became a national storyline. Rumors had surrounded his coaching future, with the Florida Gators and LSU Tigers wanting to lure him away from Ole Miss.
After what seemed like an eternity, Kiffin made his final decision. He chose to leave the Rebels to become the new head coach of the SEC rival, LSU.
Following the departure of Kiffin from the Ole Miss football program, Pete Golding took over the job. He has since earned the right to keep that position and led the Rebels to playoff wins over Tulane and Georgia. The Rebels ended up losing to the Miami Hurricanes in the Fiesta Bowl, just one win away from the championship.
Prior to the start of the 2026 college football season, Chambliss took an opportunity to throw an obvious shot at Kiffin.
Trinidad Chambliss Takes Open Shot at Former Ole Miss HC Lane Kiffin
When asked about the difference between Kiffin and Golding as head coaches, Chambliss didn’t hold back his true feelings on the matter.
“The personalities are a little different than our old coach and coach Golding. I’d say he’s more of a team guy,” Chambliss said.
“We really value his leadership, whatever he says. He shows you faster than I can tell you. He leads by his actions, and we really appreciate that.”
Kiffin faced a lot of criticism as he weighed his coaching future by putting himself above his team. The timing of the college football coaching carousel wasn’t his fault, but he didn’t handle the situation well either.
Golding immediately came in and won over the players. That led to him becoming the full-time head coach of Ole Miss football after a short time of being the interim coach.
Fans were quick to respond to Chambliss’ comments about Kiffin on social media.
College Football World Reacts to Trinidad Chambliss’ Lane Kiffin Shade
“More of a team guy? I wonder what that all entails,” one fan wrote.
Another comment read, “There’s a lot here being said without it being said.”
“Maybe it’s reading too much into this, but doesn’t it say something that he doesn’t refer to Kiffin by name?” a third fan questioned.
A fourth comment said, “Suddenly Lane wasn’t loved by his players and a leader. It was the exact opposite when he was still the Ole Miss coach last season though.”
Looking ahead to the upcoming 2026 season, the Rebels are scheduled to take on Kiffin and the Tigers on September 19. That is sure to be an emotional matchup with a bit more on the line than a typical regular season matchup.
Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss Takes Shot at Lane Kiffin