Caught On Tape: Ole Miss Coach Lane Kiffin Captured Cussing Out Player Who Had Taken Mental Health Break

Ole Miss's Lane Kiffin does not sound like the fun loving, joking coach we have heard and seen often in a just-released audio tape by the Front Office Sports website.

Kiffin is heard berating Ole Miss junior defensive tackle DeSanto Rollins last March over Rollins' mental health break at the time. Kiffin's comments were previously reported, but this is the first time the audio has been released. Rollins says in his lawsuit that he secretly recorded Kiffin.

"If you would've come here when you kept getting messages the head coach wants to talk to you, and you saying I'm not ready to talk to him," Kiffin says as the audio begins.

"I wasn't," Rollins says very low.

"Well, what f-in world do you live in?," Kiffin shouts.

"I don't see why you have to be disrespectful, honestly," Rollins says calmly.

"Get out of here. Go. You're off the team. You're done. See ya. See ya," Kiffin says.

"Because I'm," Rollins starts to say, but Kiffin interrupts.

Ole Miss' Lane Kiffin Kicked DeSanto Rollins Off The Team

"See ya. Go," Kiffin says. "Go. And guess what? We can kick you off the team. Go read your f-in rights about mental health. We can kick you off the team for not showing up. When the head coach asks to meet with you, and you don't show up for weeks. Ok, we can remove you from the team. It's called being a football player. It's called hiding behind (expletive deleted) and not showing up to work."

Ole Miss defensive tackle DeSanto Rollins sued Ole Miss and coach Lane Kiffin for sexual and racial discrimination over his mental health issues last September. (Getty Images)

Front Office Sports released the tape on Thursday without saying how it got it. This was one day after Kiffin and Ole Miss filed a motion in court in Oxford, Mississippi, to dismiss a lawsuit against them by Rollins filed last September 14. The motion says Rollins is still on the football team. He does appear on rosters, though he has not played this season.

DeSanto Rollins Makes Several Claims in Lawsuit

Rollins, 21, took a mental health break last spring. In the 2022 season, he says he suffered Achilles tendon and knee injuries that limited his ability to walk or even stand for extended periods of time. This led to what he called "severe depression, frustration and anxiety."

According to Rollins' lawsuit, no football coaches or anyone at the university provided him with a referral for a mental health evaluation after the injuries. He said he also received no mental health advice or referrals following the death of his grandmother with whom he was very close. The lawsuit accuses Kiffin of forcing Rollins to continue practicing after the knee injury.

Rollins' lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Oxford seeks $40 million in damages and claims for the emotional distress, embarrassment and physical pain of how he was treated. The suit says Ole Miss and Kiffin were guilty of racial and sexual discrimination and that Kiffin "kicked him off the football team for taking a mental break." It points out that the university has allowed other athletes, including white female softball players, to take two weeks off for their mental health without penalty."

Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss filed a motion Wednesday to dismiss DeSanto Rollins' lawsuit. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)

Lane Kiffin Not Liable, His Attorneys Say

Attorneys from the Mayo Mallette firm in Oxford and the Forman, Watkins & Krutz firm in Jackson said Kiffin "is not liable for the intentional infliction of emotional distress."

They also argued against the legal validity of Rollins' discrimination and negligence claims.

Rollins signed with Ole Miss in 2020 out of Parkview Baptist High in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, as a three-star prospect. He red-shirted in 2020 in Kiffin's first season. He played in one game in 2021 and two in 2022.

A top student, Rollins made the SEC honor roll in 2021 and '22 and the Chancellor's honor roll in 2021, '22 and last spring. He made the Dean's honor roll in 2021, '22 and '23 and the athletic director's honor roll in 2020 through 2023.

Ole Miss Rebels Have Huge Game Saturday

The release of the tape by Front Office Sports comes two days before one of the biggest games in Lane Kiffin's coaching career.

Ole Miss (8-1, 5-1 SEC) is No. 9 in the College Football Playoff rankings and plays at No. 2 Georgia (9-0, 6-0 SEC) on Saturday (7 p.m., ESPN). 

(Editor's Note: So what do you think? Let Glenn Guilbeau know via email at glenn.guilbeau@outkick.com or via X @LSUBeatTweet.)