With high expectations, how are Ole Miss coaches handling the spotlight?

There’s no doubt Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin has scratched together a fine coaching staff with plenty of experience and plenty of depth not only with his regular assistants but with seasoned analysts as well.

Kiffin preaches not getting caught up in the hype of high expectations, or eating the rat poison as he calls it, but while they are professionals, they are also human.

The “experts” are all praising the Rebel roster and what they anticipate this 2024 team to accomplish this season. High cotton predictions, for sure.

But that’s not all. . . . . there’s also tangible proof of the Ole Miss roster strength.

It would be next to impossible to look out on the Ole Miss practice field and not get excited. This Rebel roster is very talented – staked even, and anyone can see it, especially people who have been in the coaching profession for a long time.

So, while the coaches preach to the players that preseason talk means nothing, how do they handle the higher expectations? Again, they are only human.

Ole Miss offensive coordinator/ quarterbacks coach Charlie Weis, Jr. says they have to keep their focus elsewhere.

“The biggest thing for us as coaches is focusing on the process and not worry about the outcome,” he explained.

He says it’s a snap-by-snap thing and it requires laser focus and attention on the now, no other time.

“We have to diagnose the outcome of every rep. Was it blocked right? Was the quarterback protected? Did the receiver run the route they were supposed to run with the detail they are coached to do it?” Weis continued. “Did the quarterback go through his progressions properly? There are so many things we have to look at and evaluate we can’t afford to get ahead of ourselves.”

The trick is to keep being tuned in to the next rep and not worrying about the next game, Weis noted.

“We coach the next rep the best we can. Then the next practice the best we can,” he said. “Every single meeting is critical. Our job is to get our guys as good as they can be.”

The last thing you will see Ole Miss coaches doing, Weis added, would be basking in any preseason accolades.

“Like I said, it’s all about the process and helping our players be all they can be. We also have to get them in that mindset of not looking past the next practice rep,” he closed. “We are not looking for preseason glory. We want to be recognized for what we accomplish after the season.

“And we don’t want our kids thinking beyond the next game when the season gets started.”

Mind management comes in many forms, but according to Weis the most important aspect of controlling your emotions is staying in the present.

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