Ole Miss Rebels' Lane Kiffin Reminisces On Relationship With Mike Leach Following Egg Bowl Win

Lane Kiffin was emotional when discussing his late friend on Thursday night.

This year's Egg Bowl was a little different for Lane Kiffin.

Sure, his No. 12 Ole Miss Rebels reclaimed the Golden Egg Trophy from in-state rival Mississippi State and secured their 10th win in the process, but one of his friends was no longer on the opposing sideline.

Kiffin discussed his emotions on missing the late Mike Leach following the win on Thursday. He's glad to have the trophy back in Oxford, but not having Leach on the other sideline was certainly different.

"We weren't perfect by any means," Kiffin said. "We made it really hard there for a couple plays that could have made it really easy. Excited to get the trophy back. That was really painful last year to lose that. Thought maybe that if you're ever going to lose that, once we learned later on it was Coach Leach's last game, maybe that was meant to be.

"I miss him. Missed him today, and will never forget him. But I'm glad obviously we got it back to us, and we hope to keep it for a while."

Nov 25, 2021; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs head coach Mike Leach and Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin shake hands after the game at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports / © Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports

Kiffin has always been vocal of his enjoyment of Leach, and his passing last year made an impact on the Ole Miss coach. Kiffin's lone loss in the Egg Bowl series since he arrived in Oxford came last season in what became Leach's final game, and he holds a record of 3-1 against Mississippi State since 2020.

Ole Miss Reaches 10 Wins With Egg Bowl Victory vs. Mississippi State

The Rebels now have an opportunity to secure 11 wins for the first time in school history, should they win their bowl game. That destination has yet to be determined, but it speaks volumes that, even in this situation, Kiffin made sure to pay homage to one of his best friends in the coaching business.