Well, having head coaches as dads calls for some uninvited pressure. But when it comes to Lane Kiffin’s son, Knox, the young chap was free to chase whatever path he wished to. As per Lane’s open letter to Knox, dated June 15, 2024, the father of three wrote, “Follow your dreams son!! Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do something. ❤️”

A year and more later, here we are. The Oxford High School star left his mark on the gridiron in a game against Germantown. Mom, Layla, was present to witness his heroic feat. Even though Dad Lane had some significant commitments, the Ole Miss head coach ensured to hype Knox on social media.

The proud parents dropped their Instagram stories, dedicating them to Knox. Lane posted a clip right from the gridiron. The caption read, “@knox.kiffin for the win!!!” Layla, too, shared the same video, and for the caption wrote, “43-42 OT 2pts for the W!!!” What a night it must have been for the Kiffin couple. Lane and his unbeaten Ole Miss Rebels hit the road for a colossal Top-10 showdown against the Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday, October 18. 

The dad and son’s game day clashed, so Layla stayed back to root for Knox on Friday, October 17. The mom and son were in Oxford, Mississippi, while Lane was in Athens. While the physical distance is 404 miles, mentally, they are a close-knit family. 

The 16-year-old 2028 quarterback flexed his team’s win by resharing the Oxford Chargers’ IG post with the caption, “On some T6 time.” Lucky mom, Layla, cheering from the stands for Knox, Lane’s wife got to click a picture with her son after the win. Possessing a cute smile, Layla posed beside her son, donning a pair of ripped jeans – game day fit, always on check. 

While Knox still has a lot of time to transition to college, the programs have already started to woo Lane’s son. The 16-year-old holds offers from SMU, Arkansas State, Western Kentucky, Sacramento State, Murray State, Georgia State, FIU, and East Carolina.

The 6’1″, 165-pound signal-caller from Oxford (Miss.) High School, visited Lane’s program’s rivals, the LSU Tigers, during their matchup against South Carolina. Lane’s son has already tapped into the pressure he might face in college football. Knox is backing up junior quarterback Drew Dean, one of the state’s top passers. The Chargers are one of the top teams in MHSAA 7A.

So, anyhow, the attention will be on Lane’s son. While son Knox passes the test with flying colors, the Ole Miss head coach demands attention. 

Lane Kiffin’s locker room wake-up call 

As the Ole Miss Rebels hosted the Washington State Cougars at Oxford in a non-conference matchup, it was the fourth time charm for Lane’s quarterback, Trinidad Chambliss. However, we could not call it a charm. He toiled in the first half, plagued by inaccurate throws and fumbling into sacks. The after-effect?

The Cougars jumped out to a 7-0 lead, but Ole Miss clawed back, first with Lucas Carneiro’s 40-yard boot and then with Chambliss threading a 2-yard strike to Dae’Quan Wright to steal a 10-7 edge by halftime. For his quarterback, Lane could no longer sugarcoat his words. He rushed straight into the locker room. Later, Lane was asked in his interview about his vocal tone for Chambliss. 

The Rebels head coach kept it honest, “Let’s get to play like he did in that series. Let’s not go back to that Division II stuff.” Chambliss finished 20 of 29 passes for 253 yards and two touchdowns, and rushed 15 yards for one touchdown. Yet, their plaguing red zone offense issues continued to prick Lane. “I think our red zone offense showed up about like our student section today,” the Ole Miss head coach did not mince his words.

Lane is setting the bar high for his boys and himself. He has held the head coaching position at Ole Miss since 2020. However, even then, he keeps looking for sources of inspiration to motivate himself and push harder. 

This time, Ole Miss AD Keith Carter has devised an assignment for himself to lock in Lane for the long term. “I’d love to get something done like Indiana did with Curt Cignetti before the silly season starts. We’ll see. I believe Lane’s happy here, but you never know what can happen with coaches. That’s why I’m being proactive in this process,” said Carter. 

The Indiana Hoosiers gave Curt Cignetti his due credit, making him the third-highest-paid head coach with a $93 million contract extension. Extending Lane Kiffin’s stay could be the first step in luring Knox to Oxford, even if the Rebels haven’t yet slid an offer across the table.