Ole Miss Coach Lane Kiffin Calls Out Diversity Gap in NCAA Football

Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin didn't mince words after Saturday's preseason scrimmage at Vaught-Hemmingway Stadium when addressing the dearth of diversity in college football.

Kiffin relinquished head coaching for 24 hours to wide receivers coach Derrick Nix for the team's first fall scrimmage, less than a month from the Rebels' season opener against Mercer. He reminded reporters that none of the head coaches in the Southeastern Conference or the Big 12 are Black when discussing the rationale for switching roles with Nix.

"I hope coaches like Coach Nix that don't get opportunities start getting opportunities because it's ridiculous when we're talking about two major conferences in this area, or whatever it is, and 80 percent of our players are minorities, but we have all white coaches," Kiffin told reporters. It's a system that needs to be fixed."

Nix got to lead the squad for a day in the Southeastern Conference, which has had five Black head coaches since the league was formed in 1932.

Sylvester Croom broke the color barrier during the 2004 season when Mississippi State hired the former Alabama All-American under Hall of Fame head coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. Auburn tabbed Carnell "Cadillac" Williams as an interim head coach last season after parting ways with former head coach Bryan Harsin, before hiring Hugh Freeze after the season. James Franklin (Vanderbilt), Kevin Sumlin (Texas A&M), Derek Mason (Vanderbilt) and Joker Phillips (Kentucky) are the other Black men to be full-time head coaches of an SEC team.

"I remember my dad [Monte Kiffin] telling me a long time ago to be very grateful for what you have because this has not been a good profession for minorities," Kiffin said. "He used to say all the time: 'I'm just telling you, there's more Tony Dungys, there's more Lovie Smiths, there's more Mike Tomlins that never get the opportunity."

There are eight Black head coaches in the Power 5 entering the 2023 season. Deion Sanders (Colorado), Franklin (Penn State), Dino Babers (Syracuse), Mike Locksley (Maryland), Mel Tucker (Michigan State), Marcus Freeman (Notre Dame), Tony Elliot (Virginia) and Ryan Walters (Purdue) make up the list of eight Black leaders out of 65 Power 5 programs.

Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel made a similar move in giving a head coaching role to a Black coach in the NFL when assistant head coach and defensive line coach Terrell Williams led the Titans in Saturday's preseason game against the Chicago Bears. There aren't preseason games in college football so Kiffin used the scrimmage to replicate Vrabel by temporarily promoting Nix.

"I'll tell you, at 3:00 a.m., I had to remind myself, 'Now hey, this is just a scrimmage.' I couldn't sleep," Nix told reporters after Saturday's scrimmage. "Actually, when Coach Kiffin gave me the news...earlier that day, the initial thought was pumped up. Excited. Got in the staff meeting room and had what I wanted to say, but voice crackling, because these are my peers. I have a lot to learn. But what an awesome opportunity."

There are three Black head coaches—Tomlin (Pittsburgh Steelers), Todd Bowles (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) and first-year head coach DeMeco Ryans—in the 32-team NFL.

Monte Kiffin spent decades in the NFL and the NCCA building a reputation as one of the best defensive minds in the sport. His work as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive coordinator from 1996-2008 led to the advent of the "Tampa 2" defense and a Super Bowl win. Monte is on Lane's Ole Miss staff as a player personnel analyst. Father and son are on board with advocating for more Black coaches in the NFL and college football.

"You look around, and you're in the SEC, and a couple of schools are coming into the [league and then the] Big 12, and we're in 2023, and between the SEC and Big 12, there are no minority head coaches," Lane Kiffin said. "That's unfortunate, and not like I can change it, but to give someone an opportunity to speak in front of the team and the media, handle the pregame meal and injury reports, and go out there and manage the scrimmage and mock game. It's really good for him. You can only see how good someone is once he gets a chance to do it."

Nix enters his 16th season on the Ole Miss coaching staff. He spent 12 seasons as running back coach, and the 2023 season will be his fourth coaching receivers. Nix hopes the added spotlight will lead to more chances for him and other Black coaches to get recognized as viable candidates for head coaching jobs.

"The only way to overcome it is to have guys like Lane Kiffin to give opportunities," Nix told reporters. "I think as time goes on, I think the door will continue to open up wider and wider. I would love to be able to get to the highest level and be able to do that, but it's not a dealbreaker. Control the controllables, you know?"