Ole Miss adds Coke Zero to Lane Kiffin's podium, fueling playful SEC rivalry with LSU HC Brian Kelly
The Ole Miss coach, Lane Kiffin, and the LSU Tigers coach, Brian Kelly, have been going back and forth over the sugar rush provided by the Coca-Cola drink. Last week, Kiffin delivered a statement where he said that Coca-Cola has a high amount of sugar. He also talked about how unhealthy it is for people.
"Does anybody drink Coke?," Kiffin asked last week, as per On3 Sports. "You realize that 130% of your sugar for the entire day is in this one bottle? 65 grams of sugar."
Listening to Kiffin's views, Kelly indirectly replied to his comment by promoting another Coca-Cola product: Smartwater.
"Just a shout out to our sponsor, Coke," Kelly said on Wednesday. "Smartwater, great Coke product. Minerals, vitamins. It’s just great for you. It’s refreshing. Healthy and Coke provides you all the products that you need, depending on what you like, and I love Smartwater."
Ole Miss and Kiffin gave their response as they added a bottle of Coke Zero to the coach's podium, likely as a way to counter Kelly's comments about the high sugar content of a regular Coca-Cola soda. This move continued the playful back-and-forth between the two SEC coaches.
Lane Kiffin hired brother Chris Kiffin as an analyst for the Rebels
Lane Kiffin hired his brother, Chris Kiffin, as a player personnel analyst for the sixth-ranked Rebels. Chris has worked as a linebackers coach for the Houston Texans and a defensive line coach for the Cleveland Browns. He also spent two seasons as a pass rush specialist for the San Francisco 49ers.
This would be Chris' third stint at Ole Miss, where he was an assistant coach from 2012 to 2016 and a graduate assistant in 2007. He was also a co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Florida Atlantic University, where he became the finalist for the 2017 Broyles Award — an honor given to college football's top assistant.
"It's really awesome to have him [Chris] around, without being too personal," Kiffin said, as per The Telegraph.
Mississippi's sixth-ranked Rebels will open the season on Saturday against Furman.