Ole Miss football head coach Lane Kiffin knew exactly how he wanted his players to take the coaching carousel rumors.
That is why he knew exactly what to say when addressing the coaching rumors with his locker room ahead of their Oklahoma game.
"I just told them, ‘Hey, this happens every year here. So this isn’t new, but a lot of you guys are new.' So all it is is a credit to the program and the coaches and players for doing well and having the success we have. So that’s all that’s a product of and it shouldn’t be a distraction," Kiffin had said to ESPN's Molly McGrath.
Luckily for Kiffin, that's exactly how the Ole Miss players are treating the rumors: as a "distraction" and a byproduct of winning.
When asked about their thoughts on the intense rumors around Kiffin, Ole Miss TE Trace Bruckler echoed the same words as Kiffin.
"It was short and sweet," Bruckler said per the Clarion Ledger. "Great things come to winning programs."
"I've seen it. We had a great last year and our head coach, offensive coordinator and a bunch of guys left to bigger programs. That's just what come with success," Bruckler added.
WR Harrison Wallace III was also on the same page as Kiffin and Bruckler, saying it is all but a "compliment" for his team.
"Whenever a program is doing good, there is other coaching jobs available," Wallace said. "The team that's winning and doing great things, their coach is always going to be a candidate. I just feel like it's a kudos to us because of how we're playing and handling our business."
Both of their responses seem closely knit with what Kiffin had to say about his players handling the rumors.
It is good news for Kiffin, feeling rest assured that his team is focused on winning and not on the putside noise.
The Rebels are now set to face South Carolina next, winning against which will only strengthen their chances of securing a college football playoff berth.