One of the coolest moments that Ole Miss Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin experienced at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in 2024 happened four months before the start of college football season.
Last April, Kiffin accompanied country music superstar Morgan Wallen to the stage during the singer's traditional "walk out" at the beginning of his concert.
Wallen typically walks to the stage with notable folks who are associated with the city where he's performing. It's one of the cooler traditions in country music these days.
The way I love and hate, all at the same time, that Kiffin walked out with Morgan Wallen Saturday night in Oxford pic.twitter.com/dQaeD2k1LW
— ••Ashley Knight •• (@Ashley_H_Knight) April 23, 2024
On Thursday, Kiffin tweeted a photo of a customized football from Wallen that featured the date of the concert and the name of the tour along with Kiffin's name.
"Thank you for being such a key part of my nightly walkouts," read the note from Wallen. "Your contribution inspired me to have more energy and more confidence to go out and kill it. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. God bless!"
Thank you @MorganWallen pic.twitter.com/DF7FSsLp2j
— Lane Kiffin (@Lane_Kiffin) February 20, 2025
Wallen, who is from East Tennessee, is a massive Tennessee Vols fan. He's been seen at numerous Vols sporting events over the years, including in Omaha last summer during Tennessee's championship-run in the College World Series (he was sitting with Peyton Manning, Vols basketball coach Rick Barnes, and UT football coach Josh Heupel).
Imagine being a fly on the wall for the conversations between Rick Barnes, Peyton Manning, Josh Heupel and Morgan Wallen? pic.twitter.com/YKCmlDU2WT
— Mike Monaco (@MikeMonaco_) June 24, 2024
Wallen performed at Neyland Stadium twice last September and walked to the stage with Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava, wide receiver Bru McCoy, Heupel, and Manning.
NEW: Morgan Wallen walked out with Peyton Manning, Josh Heupel, Nico Iamaleava, and Bru McCoy tonight in Knoxvillehttps://t.co/CFmxLKJv9C pic.twitter.com/qBHk5B1jvM
— On3 (@On3sports) September 23, 2024
Kiffin, of course, has his own connection to Tennessee as he served as the head coach of the Vols in 2009.
There's no doubt that Kiffin is all-in at Ole Miss, but some of his tweets and comments over the years have suggested that he still has a soft spot for Rocky Top.
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