Last college football season marked a historic milestone for the Ole Miss Rebels, as they punched their ticket to the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history. But what should have been a celebratory moment quickly turned controversial when head coach Lane Kiffin, along with several staff members, made the shock decision to leave the Rebels just before the playoff began. His destination? The LSU Tigers, where he replaced Brian Kelly in a blockbuster move.

The timing of Kiffin’s exit raised eyebrows across the college football world, with many fans and analysts calling it unprofessional and disrespectful to a team still chasing a national championship. However, Kiffin—who inked a massive $91 million contract with LSU—recently opened up to Vanity Fair about his reasoning, offering a glimpse into the factors behind the switch. And his comments have sparked a new conversation about the challenges of recruiting in the SEC.

According to Vanity Fair’s Chris Smith, Kiffin seemed to indirectly reference Ole Miss’s ongoing struggle to distance itself from symbols of the Confederacy, including the Confederate flag. In the interview, Kiffin described how the university’s historical ties have created hurdles on the recruiting trail.

“Hey, coach, we really like you. But my grandparents aren’t letting me move to Oxford, Mississippi,” Kiffin recalled one recruit telling him. He contrasted that experience with his new home at LSU, noting, “That doesn’t come up when you say Baton Rouge, Louisiana.” Kiffin added that parents visiting LSU’s campus recently remarked on the diversity, saying, “It feels like there’s no segregation. And we want that for our kid because that’s the real world.”

There’s no denying that LSU boasts resources most programs can only dream of, and Kiffin’s move certainly positions him for success. But with the abrupt timing of his departure and the weight of that massive contract, the pressure is now squarely on his shoulders. Only time will tell if Kiffin and LSU made the right call—or if the Rebels will have the last laugh.