You might question some of the game calls Lane Kiffin makes, but the Ole Miss coach definitely sports a keen sense of social media humor.
With Kiffin’s team prepping for its Saturday night game against Tennessee, the coach got trolled by a social media personality named Coach Lance Decker, who wrote him a poem. Decker bills himself as the “head football coach at Chattahoochie Middle School. Undefeated. 150-0.”
Kiffin then tweeted: “Can’t stop laughing. This is awesome. Thank you for that Tennessee football. Ole Miss football wish(es) great health to all.”
You’ll have to forgive Tennessee if the Vols don’t have a sense of humor regarding Lane Kiffin. After all, Kiffin was like that bad boyfriend who promises you everything but dumps you as soon as a prettier girl comes along.
So here’s why Vols fans and an internet personality still are upset. Kiffin coached Tennessee for all of one season. This was back in 2009. He was 33 when the Vols hired him. That made him the youngest head coach in the FBS. After a 7-6 record, Lane Kiffin left Knoxville for Southern California, where he started his full-time coaching career nine years before. Volunteer fans didn’t appreciate getting dumped.
Here’s the Ode to Lane Kiffin
Now, here’s Coach Decker’s ode:
“A poem to Coach Lane Kiffin, Lifetime record 75 and 55, written by Coach Lance Decker. Lifetime record 150-0.
“You coached for one year, then left us at night, leaving our program in a decade of plight. Derek Dooley, Butch Jones then Jeremy Pruitt, none of these coaches could ever quite do it. Now the chosen one is here, Josh Heupel is his name. Upon Missouri and the Gamecocks, he unleashed great shame. Our offense wracked up one million yards and the Ole Miss defense will be dealt with the same cards.
“Why’d you leave us, were we just a fling? We would’ve at least won two championship rings. … You could’ve stayed with the Vols, but that ship has sailed. And now the Lane train will soon be derailed. Hendon, Velus Javonta, Tiyon will destroy your offense in between each pylon.
“As you leave Knoxville and we’re all drinking beer, we’ll smile knowing Rocky Top is the last thing you’ll hear. For on Saturday we’ll win as Neyland is checkered. But today, Lane Kiffin, you’ve just been deckered. Y’all like that, what I did with my name there? It’s different.”
Tennessee Expecting First Sellout in Four Years
And yes, Tennessee fans are excited about the matchup. The Vols are 4-2 under first-year coach Heupel, who quarterbacked Oklahoma to a national title in 2000. There’s also a sellout at Neyland Stadium for the first time since 2017. The place will be rocking on a Saturday night as Kiffin makes his first return to Knoxville as a head coach.
There probably will be boos. We’ll see if Lane Kiffin maintains his sense of humor.
