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Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sport
Jelani Scott

Kiffin Reacts to Jimbo Fisher Blasting Saban During Presser

Jimbo Fisher’s fiery remarks towards Nick Saban on Thursday left many people in awe, including one of the Alabama legend’s most famous former assistants.

Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin, who coached under Saban from 2014–16, offered a response to The Athletic shortly after the Texas A&M coach’s head-turning press conference concluded. 

“Speechless for the first time in my life,” Kiffin said, per reporter Bruce Feldman.

Kiffin also shared what went through his mind while watching Fisher’s shocking comments in real-time. At one point, the Aggies coach called Saban “despicable” after he recently accused the Aggies of forming college football’s No. 1 recruiting class by paying for players through Name, Image and Likeness deals.

“This can’t really be happening. ... Is this real life?’” Kiffin said. “I still haven’t moved from my seat. That should’ve been on Pay-Per-View.”

Kiffin’s comments marked the polarizing coach’s latest contribution to the discourse surrounding Texas A&M’s incoming class. He previously criticized the program’s NIL deals last month, saying the NCAA may need to “implement a luxury tax” on the Aggies and Texas because “what they’re paying the players is unbelievable.”

Fisher later dismissed Kiffin’s complaints in a response defending his program, and explained in his words why he believed the Aggies are being singled out as a “villain.”

“I guess they haven’t done it as much,” Fisher said. “Guess you have to get used to it, guess we have to keep doing it. We’ve been in the top four, five or six every year. Whatever they feel and say, I don’t worry about somebody else. Like I said before, all the things that went on, it had nothing to do with NIL.”

For more Ole Miss news, head over to The Grove Report.

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