The Ole Miss Rebels are likely going to have to cobble together a significant part of their coaching staff for the College Football Playoff semifinal.
Ole Miss won the quarterfinal against Georgia with the help of six assistants that have already committed to follow Lane Kiffin to LSU for next season. Of the six, only offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. is expected to remain with the Rebels going forward, according to Chase Parham of 247 Sports.
I’m told running backs coach Kevin Smith won’t return to Ole Miss for rest of playoff run. Charlie Weis is back in Oxford and it’s likely he’s the only one of the main LSU assistants to continue with Rebs in CFP.
— Chase Parham (@ChaseParham) January 3, 2026
Of the six departing coaches, Weis is arguably the most important, so it should be a relief to have him back. The others include tight ends coach/co-offensive coordinator Joe Cox, wide receivers coach/passing game coordinator George McDonald, and running backs coach Kevin Smith.
On the surface, this might seem like a hit to Ole Miss, but the school might ultimately be fine with it. With the transfer portal open, there were worries that these coaches might be tempted to essentially tamper with Ole Miss players to try to convince them to jump to LSU once the playoff is over. If most of the coaches are out of the building, that will be much less of a concern.
The flipside of the situation is that at least one of the incoming Ole Miss coaches also has some LSU ties. In a certain sense, the situation cuts both ways, though is not quite equal.
The Rebels are set to take on Miami on Jan. 8 at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl.
