Ole Miss football coach will miss opening game after testing positive for COVID-19
Published 4:35 pm Saturday, September 4, 2021
Lane Kiffin will not making the trip to Atlanta after announcing he tested positive for COVID-19.
The Ole Miss head coach confirmed reports on Saturday morning that he had contracted a breakthrough case, posting a statement on Twitter. Kiffin, along with the rest of the football program are fully vaccinated.
No players or other staff members have tested positive, according to Kiffin.
“I am disappointed to confirm that I have developed a break-through case COVID and will not accompany our team to Atlanta,” Kiffin’s statement read. “I am grateful to be vaccinated and experiencing only mild symptoms. So much so, I debated over being tested, but I’m relieved that I did. I’m proud of our program’s commitment to vaccination, and as a result, there are currently no other cases to report or team members expected to miss the game. We will continue to monitor our team closely and take responsible measures if any symptoms arise.”
Ole Miss made national news last month when Kiffin reported that the entire program was 100 percent vaccinated, one of the first college football programs in the country to reach that threshold.
Last month, Kiffin spoke about other head coaches who choose to not get vaccinated and the potential ramifications it could have on a team’s season.
“I couldn’t go to our team, not get vaccinated and say, ‘Okay, we’re going to do all this work for a game.’ Also, what if you tested positive a couple days before the game? ‘Hey, sorry guys. Thanks for all your hard work. I won’t be there because I didn’t get vaccinated,’” Kiffin said.
Kiffin has not named who will serve as interim head coach for the Rebels season opener against Louisville on Monday in the Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Game at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. CT on ESPN.