Ole Miss Rebels great Archie Manning did not waste a second letting Ole Miss fans know exactly how he felt about HC Lane Kiffin’s exit. His video message was sharp, direct, and unmistakably pointed. 

“As you know, the Rebels had a great year,” Archie Manning said in a video posted by Everything Ole Miss on December 9. “I think we’re going to do great in the playoffs without our narcissist jerk coach. I sure hope so.”

That message set the entire tone of the week in Oxford, and it perfectly captured the frustration bubbling inside the program.

Lane Kiffin walked away after six seasons, leaving a program in the middle of a College Football Playoff push, a move many inside the building still view as reckless. He wanted to coach Ole Miss through the postseason, but AD Keith Carter shut that down immediately. That decision avoided a conflict-filled sideline during the biggest moment in school history.

This is Ole Miss’ strongest season ever, sitting at No. 6 and preparing for Tulane in the opening round. Charlie Weis Jr., already expected to join LSU next season, will lead the Rebels through the playoff. It is an unusual setup, but it might be the steady hand they need. And if Archie Manning’s message is any indication, the program seems determined to make this postseason about everyone except its former head coach.