Charlie Weis Jr. Reportedly to be Ole Miss OC for CFP Despite LSU Move With Kiffin

Lane Kiffin isn't remaining with Ole Miss through the College Football Playoff, but offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. will stay.

Kiffin released a statement explaining as much:

"With the playoff committee releasing updated rankings tonight, I wanted it to be known that after conversations with LSU, we are allowing Charlie to return to Ole Miss to coach the team during the playoffs. I've already made the committee aware of this and I'm hopeful this decision will allow Ole Miss to receive the highest ranking possible because these great players are very deserving of that. I'm excited that Charlie will be back to help coach the greatest team in the history of Ole Miss."

Matt Hayes of USA Today first reported Tuesday that Weis will coach the Rebels' offense during the upcoming CFP after they finished 11-1 during the regular season.

That is notable since Wilson Alexander of The Advocate reported Weis is among the members of Ole Miss staff who are going to LSU with Kiffin.

So is co-offensive coordinator and tight ends coach Joe Cox, wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator George McDonald, inside wide receivers coach Sawyer Jordan, head of strength and conditioning Nick Savage and senior executive director of player personnel Mike Williams.

According to Alexander, Weis signed a three-year deal worth $6 million and will be among the highest-paid assistant coaches in the country at LSU.

He will face quite the task considering the Tigers were 108th in the country in points per game and failed to surpass the 25-point mark a single time against an FBS opponent this season. Kiffin is an offensive-minded head coach and will surely be involved with the unit as well.

First, though, Weis will look to lead the Rebels in their national title pursuit.

That he is staying is sure to turn heads given some of the reporting surrounding Kiffin's departure and desire to remain with Ole Miss through the CFP.

"The Ole Miss coach wasn't going to leave for Baton Rouge without a fight, though," CBS Sports' John Talty reported. "In a conversation described as tense, Kiffin didn't want to back down from his desire to coach the team through the postseason. When Ole Miss showed no interest in allowing him to do so, Kiffin, according to sources, threatened to take the offensive staff with him immediately if Carter and Boyce didn't relent. They held firm; Kiffin would not be coaching the team in the playoff.

"As word of Kiffin's tactics spread, multiple Ole Miss football players confronted him in his office Sunday about it. Kiffin refused to directly answer whether he had told his on-field offensive staffers that if they didn't get on the plane with him to Baton Rouge the next day, they wouldn't have a spot on his LSU staff."

Kiffin himself even mentioned he wanted to stay with Ole Miss but was denied his request in his announcement that he was taking the LSU job.

That Weis will remain with the Rebels but still eventually join the Tigers undercuts the notion Kiffin was giving ultimatums to the members of his coaching staff. And the 32-year-old offensive coordinator surely wants to add a national championship to his resume.

He will have the chance to do just that by remaining with Ole Miss before becoming the full-time offensive coordinator at LSU.