Rebels' Kiffin: Black Head Coaching Situation 'Needs to be Fixed!'
Ole Miss Rebels coach Lane Kiffin recently gave wide receiver coach Derrick Nix an opportunity to act as the head coach for a recent team scrimmage, saying he wanted to give Nix a chance to "see what it's like" to be a head coach.
Why? Because Nix is Black, and Kiffin doesn't think minorities get enough opportunities to be head coaches.
"I remember my dad telling me a long time ago to be very grateful for what you have because this has not been a good profession at all for minorities," Kiffin said, via the Clarion Ledger. "He used to say all the time, 'I'm just telling you, there's more Tony Dungys, there's more Lovie Smiths, there's more Mike Tomlins that never get the opportunity.’"
Monte Kiffin, Lane's father, has coached in the NFL and at the college level since 1968. Since 2020 - when his son Lane took over at Ole Miss - Monte has served as the Rebels' player personnel analyst. He also was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive coordinator, working with future minority head coaches Tony Dungy, Herm Edwards, Lovie Smith, and Jim Caldwell.
"I just hope Black coaches that don't get opportunities start getting opportunities, because it is ridiculous," Lane Kiffin added. "We're talking about two major conferences right here in this area. Whatever it is – 80% of our players are minority, but we've got all White coaches. It's really a system that needs to be fixed."
Nix is in his 16th season on the Rebels' staff. After spending 12 seasons as the running backs coach, he's now entering his fourth year as the receiver's coach.
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