Sources: OC Weis to coach Ole Miss in CFP semi

LSU’s administration is allowing offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. and running backs coach Kevin Smith to continue coaching No. 6 Ole Miss in its College Football Playoff semifinal against No. 10 Miami in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, sources told ESPN on Tuesday.

Sources said that Weis and Smith, who are following former Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin to LSU, flew to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on Monday for recruiting visits, and then returned to Oxford, Mississippi, later that night.

The Rebels are scheduled to fly to Scottsdale, Arizona, on Tuesday for the biggest game in the program’s history on Thursday night (7:30 ET/ESPN).

«Our main focus is on winning this game,» Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter told ESPN on Tuesday morning. «Charlie has been awesome, juggling two high-profile jobs. He’s been incredible. We have no complaints.»

There was uncertainty over which coaches joining Kiffin at LSU would continue coaching the Rebels in the CFP.

Trinidad Chambliss and tailback Kewan Lacy if they entered the transfer portal.

But Chambliss and Lacy both signed new deals to remain with the Rebels for the 2026 season. Chambliss’ new deal is contingent on the NCAA approving his waiver for a sixth year of eligibility.

Chambliss’ attorney, Thomas Mars, told ESPN on Monday that the NCAA Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement has yet to issue a decision. Carter said Tuesday he hopes to hear back from the NCAA on Chambliss’ eligibility in the next 7-10 days.

The Tigers were also targeting Ole Miss kicker Lucas Carneiro, who set an Allstate Sugar Bowl record with a 56-yard field goal and kicked the winning 47-yarder in the Rebels’ 39-34 upset of Georgia last week. But Ole Miss announced Monday that Carneiro has signed a new deal to stay with the Rebels.

Golding has attempted to downplay the entire coaching situation to keep the focus on his players, even though he still didn’t know who would be available in the Fiesta Bowl until Monday night.

«Our players know what to do,» Golding said. «It’s going to have no impact on the game. Keep blowing it up and making it a big deal, it’d be great.»

Golding suggested that Ole Miss’ situation was no different than that of other teams who had coordinators and assistants leaving for other jobs, even though the Rebels have more at stake than most of those teams.

«I don’t know. Do you know if you’re going to show up at work tomorrow?» Golding said. «I mean, we don’t know. It’s grown people making decisions, so I have no idea. We’re going to go out there and spot the ball. We got plenty enough people in this building who showed up this morning. We’ll be just fine.»

Senior analyst/pass game specialist Dane Stevens and graduate assistant Sawyer Jordan, who assists with slot receivers, are also leaving for LSU.