Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin explained why his program did not choose to be featured in the Netflix SEC show that debuted this week.
Netflix released its latest sports documentary series SEC Football:Any Given Saturday, highlighting the Southeastern Conference this week but among the teams not included is Ole Miss.
The reason is because sixth-year head coach Lane Kiffin did not want his program to be heavily involved in the show or among the featured teams.
Texas, Georgia, Alabama and Missouri also opted out of being featured. Though just by default Ole Miss does still end up in the show albeit in ways that fans might not enjoy as they are focusing on Florida and LSU. I don’t think I need to explain further.
But still, Kiffin is one of the college football personalities that people enjoy seeing and soaking up any content he is on. But during the 2024 season the Netflix cameras were off limits.
On Wednesday he explained why on the heels of the show’s seven-episode drop this week.
“To each their own. I’ve just never been a fan of those things when they come in and over years of watching them I just think it’s really hard for coaches to not be phony in that,” Kiffin said. “When there’s a camera in front of you and you know it’s going to be on air and and then your players.
“I think we’re unique in how we are and it’s a big part of what we tell the guys. What you see is what you get here, you know, and recruiting. We don’t recruit one way and then coach a different way. I just never wanted the cameras in there and all of a sudden, this position coach thinks, ‘Oh, here’s my shot for every (athletic director) to see me and what a great coach I am,’ and they start talking differently than they normally do in coaching.”
The show does take the cameras inside those meeting rooms as well as the coaches homes and apartments of players. From reports of people who have seen the entire series there is not a lot the SEC did not allow to be aired, including a NIL-esque discussion about LSU trying to retain Garrett Nussmeier for 2025.
Ole Miss has its own similar documentary show The Season: Ole Miss Football that airs during the regular season ESPNU or other ESPN networks.
But for Kiffin, who does come from that Nick Saban coaching tree, less was more in terms of not having so many camera lenses throughout the practice facilities and on trips for road games.
“I’ve just always been against it,” Kiffin added. “I know it makes a little money and fills people’s ego to be on TV and stuff. I just look at it from a team perspective. I don’t think it’s good, but that’s just me.”
Category: General Sports
