Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin will miss team opener after testing positive for Covid-19

Oxford, Mississippi - The Ole Miss Rebels will be without their head coach for the first game of their 2021 college football season, as Covid-19 deals an unfortunate blow to their game plan.

Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin will have to miss his team's first game of the 2021 season while he recovers from contracting the Coronavirus last week.
Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin will have to miss his team's first game of the 2021 season while he recovers from contracting the Coronavirus last week.  © IMAGO / ZUMA Wire

Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin (46) will have to sit out his team’s regular-season opener on Monday after he tested positive for the coronavirus last week.

He’ll be in isolation in Mississippi during his recovery and won’t travel with the team until he’s been cleared to return.

Kiffin shared the news himself via Twitter, describing his situation as a "break-through case," referring to his having been infected even though he’s fully vaccinated.

Brittney Griner and Caitlin Clark headline Olympic US Women's National Team
Athletes Brittney Griner and Caitlin Clark headline Olympic US Women's National Team

His entire team in fact, from the coaching staff down to the players, are fully vaccinated – and were the first football team, in college or at the pro-level, to be 100% inoculated.

The news of their achievement broke last month, during their program’s summer training camp.

"I debated over being tested, but I'm relieved that I did," Kiffin said. "And this too shall pass."

Kiffin confirmed he’s "experiencing only mild symptoms" and added that because of his entire team’s vaccination status, "there are currently no other cases to report or team members expected to miss the game."

"I'm proud of our program's commitment to vaccination," he added.

At this point, there’s been no official word on who will assume the head coaching duties for the Rebels in Monday’s Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Game in Atlanta against the Louisville Cardinals.

Cover photo: IMAGO / ZUMA Wire

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