Legendary LSU Football Star Doesn't Want Lane Kiffin

Tyrann Mathieu: 'Do [we] want to deal with that?'

On Tuesday's episode of his "In the Bayou" podcast, the Honey Badger wondered aloud if Kiffin was the type of coach LSU wants in the building after moving on from Brian Kelly — especially with his reputation for messy exits at nearly every program he's worked at.

“Do we want the guy that’s kind of showing us his disloyalty? Like, do I really want that guy?” Mathieu asked. “Because he built the Ole Miss program, that’s all his fingerprints. A couple of years ago they were calling him the ‘Transfer Portal King’ and all that. So he’s created this culture and environment where a lot of guys want to go play for Ole Miss, right. And now it’s like, ‘Oh yeah, I took you to the alter, but I don’t think I want to marry you.’"

"I think as a player, if I was a play at Ole Miss, I would somewhat feel some type of way. Because we’re having all this success, everything is going our way, and you want to leave for the girl down the street?" the former All-American continued.

“I know he’s the best candidate, he’s my No. 1 candidate too, but do I want to deal with that? ... It seemed like a happy marriage, until the big booty girl showed up on the front porch like, ‘Hey, I’m available.’”

Kiffin called out for handling of Ole Miss situation

On this morning's "First Take," ESPN's Paul Finebaum also called out Kiffin for his "poor" mishandling of his coaching future in Oxford.

“It has been handled very poorly. … Instead, this has turned into an absolute circus created and orchestrated and directed by Lane Kiffin,” Finebaum said. “It’s not all that difficult. If you don’t want to stay at Ole Miss, you just simply pick up and leave. Or if you are going to stay, and he keeps giving these nuanced answers as if he wants to be there and doesn’t want to leave, you simply announce you’re going to be there. It’s not hard. It happens in every profession, including this one."

All signs seem to be pointing to Kiffin leaving Ole Miss for another opportunity — which could do even more damage to his reputational standing by bolting from a team that's likely headed to the Playoff.