How Ole Miss football coach Lane Kiffin prioritized familiarity by hiring John Garrison
OXFORD — Lane Kiffin had unsuccessfully tried to lure offensive line coach John Garrison to Ole Miss when he first took charge of the Rebels’ program prior to the 2020 season.
Following Jake Thornton’s departure to join Hugh Freeze’s new staff at Auburn earlier this month, the circumstances were finally right for Kiffin to land his man.
“Great coach, great person,” Kiffin said when asked about Garrison’s hiring last Monday.
Alongside the individual coaching and recruiting attributes Garrison will provide, Kiffin touted familiarity among the major benefits the Rebels will derive from the hire.
Garrison previously spent one season on Kiffin’s staff while he was in charge at FAU, making a quick pit stop in 2018 before departing for NC State. The offensive coordinator on that Owls team was Charlie Weis Jr. ‒ now the co-offensive coordinator at Ole Miss. That FAU team finished 5-7, but led Conference USA in total offense with 478.8 yards per game.
Thanks to that prepackaged chemistry, Kiffin explained, the fit is relatively seamless.
“It was a really cool transition to go on the road with him (last week),” Kiffin said. “It’s very unique to have a head coach, offensive line coach, offensive coordinator that have all worked together before in the same roles. We were all at FAU at the same time. It makes it a very easy transition for players and for recruits.”
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To this point, Garrison is the only major coaching change the Rebels have made, and he’s a familiar one at that. If that continuity endures, it would provide a stark contrast to how last offseason unfolded. Kiffin replaced five of his assistants following the 2021 season.
The early recruiting results seem to have been positive. Ole Miss flipped Class of 2023 offensive line prospect Ethan Fields on Friday. The three-star Louisiana native had previously been committed to Purdue, which just underwent a head coaching change after Jeff Brohm left for Louisville.
As for Garrison’s offensive line coaching chops, the numbers and accolades seem to offer two major points in his favor.
According to Pro Football Focus analysts, Garrison’s offensive line at NC State ranked first in pass-blocking efficiency and second in run-blocking efficiency among ACC programs last season.
He also helped produce a pair of first-team All-ACC players on the offensive line: guard Chandler Zavala and center Grant Gibson.
Speaking early last week, Garrison’s coaching pedigree was already apparent to Nick Broeker, Ole Miss’ star left guard.
“I think he’s really sharp,” Broeker said. “He’s got a lot of veteran experience. He’s been at a lot of places. A lot of different teams. He’s been with Coach Kiffin previously as well. Those two will obviously work together. Coach Weis was there as well. You can definitely tell he brings a lot of good expertise.”
David Eckert covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at deckert@gannett.com or reach him on Twitter @davideckert98.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Lane Kiffin prioritizes familiarity with Ole Miss football OL coach hire
