Fiesta Bowl: Ole Miss will have its play-caller, won’t have 2 assistants for CFP semifinal

Ole Miss is one win away from playing  for the national championship despite losing its head coach, Lane Kiffin, to LSU before the start of the College Football Playoff and the complications that come with that.

The Rebels are preparing to play Miami at the Fiesta Bowl on Thursday with defensive coordinator-turned head coach Pete Golding at the helm. Several assistants were poached by Kiffin but have continued their duties with Ole Miss through its first two playoff games.

Their participation came into question this week, however, with the transfer portal opening last Friday.

Ole Miss will have its play-caller, as offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr., running backs coach Kevin Smith and offensive line coach John Garrison will be on the sideline at State Farm Stadium, Golding told reporters on Wednesday.

Tight ends coach/co-offensive coordinator Joe Cox and receivers coach/passing game coordinator George McDonald are not with the team this week.

Weis and Smith flew to Baton Rouge on Monday for recruiting visits and back to Mississippi later that night, ESPN’s Mark Schlabach and Heather Dinich reported.

“Every year that I was at Alabama that we went to the playoffs, we had coordinators and assistants that had other jobs,” Golding said on Saturday. “So all they’re doing two jobs. They have a responsibility to the next institution they’re going to work at. It’s the portal, the recruiting, they’re doing other things. They’re still doing the game plan prep, will be in the practices and all those types of things.”

Golding added that it will not be a reason why the Rebels win or lose the game, that a college football program has dozens of coaches who work directly with players and can step into larger roles.

“They have another job that is paying them, and they have a responsibility,” Golding said on Wednesday. “They have 35 guys that are in the portal. They have to build a team.”

The Rebels overcame the head-coaching shuffle with playoff wins over Tulane and Georgia to reach the semifinal. Kiffin wanted to keep coaching Ole Miss during the CFP after taking the LSU job, but the university opted to move on considering he was leaving for a conference rival.

The Fiesta Bowl winner will take on either Oregon or Indiana for a national title.

Kickoff from Glendale is Thursday at 5:30 p.m. MST, and the game will air in progress at 7 p.m. on 98.7.

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