Mike Leach, Lane Kiffin teaming up in Mississippi goes as you’d expect
Jun 25, 2020, 12:44 PM
Mississippi State coach Mike Leach and Ole Miss counterpart Lane Kiffin met Thursday with government leaders to push for the state to remove the Confederate emblem from its flag.
Their meeting, which included other college coaches, came as the nation has challenged symbols and pushed for social justice reform.
But the two new football coaches of rival teams had their lighthearted moments during the process.
Egg Bowl 2020 pic.twitter.com/GO7EBot1H7
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) June 25, 2020
There was Leach, face mask pulled below his nose, tugging on Kiffin’s mask and snapping it over his face.
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Even though they’re new to their respective jobs, the two know one another and are long-time college football staples.
The social media-savvy Kiffin left Florida Atlantic for the Rebels’ job in December. Leach, known for his odd interests, including a love of pirates, departed Washington State to take the Bulldogs’ job a month later.
College football Twitter loved their interactions, and just how odd it was they and other college athletics leaders were gathering for such an important cause.
Mike Leach with lousy defense against a spread?
well I never https://t.co/to7Z6PnplT
— Matt Brown (@MattBrownEP) June 25, 2020
lmbo mike leach is getting that rivalry with lane kiffin EARLY and howland caught in the middle is the funniest thing you’ll see today 😂 pic.twitter.com/GWrro50jew
— J. Isaiah Young (@j_isaiahyoung) June 25, 2020
Mike leach 100% didn’t have a blazer and bought that at George Sherman yesterday. I love him. https://t.co/LBmEkUcM7j
— Bulldog Graphics (@Bulldog_Graphic) June 25, 2020
This is bonkers. 2020, man. pic.twitter.com/tgy6VAiqMe
— Nathanael Gabler (@nategabler) June 25, 2020
The meeting happened for an important cause.
Fifty-two coaches and athletic department officials gathered at the Mississippi state capitol building in Jackson on Thursday.
It came after Mississippi State’s All-SEC running back Kylin Hill recently took to Twitter to make his feelings known about the current Mississippi state flag, which has the Confederate battle emblem in the top left corner.
“Either change the flag or I won’t be representing this State anymore. … & I meant that .. I’m tired,” Hill tweeted this week.
Multiple other players — and even rapper Ice Cube — sent out messages supporting Hill’s stance. On Thursday, Leach explained why he believed the flag should leave the Confederate emblem in the past.
“The purpose of a state flag is to unify the state. Right now, this flag doesn’t do that,” Leach said via The Clarion-Ledger. “To me it’s really quite simple. Why do you have a state flag? To unify all the people in the state. If your flag doesn’t do that, change it.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
