Ole Miss football coach Lane Kiffin nudges into photo during on-field proposal

OXFORD, Miss. — University of Mississippi football coach Lane Kiffin was having a good time as the No. 7 Rebels (9-1) romped 49-0 against The Citadel on Saturday. He even got to nudge into a photograph during a timeout to help share the joy of a couple’s on-field engagement.

During a timeout in the third quarter, former Ole Miss pole vaulter Drew O’Connor went onto the turf at Vaught Hemingway Stadium under the guise of kicking a field goal as part of a promotion. His girlfriend, Madison Barnette, was kneeling on the field as the designated holder for the kick — but it never happened.

O’Connor, 24, jogged up to the football and stopped, pulled Barnette to her feet and fished into his left pocket. He pulled out a ring and proposed to his stunned girlfriend — she said yes, by the way — before they shared a hug and posed for a photograph.

Their memorable moment became even more iconic when Kiffin walked over from the sideline and posed with the happy couple.

“I didn’t know I’d be part of that,” Kiffin said during his postgame news conference. “Things happen in the ’Sip, you know? That was cool. I didn’t know what was going on at all. Someone on the headset said it. That was really cool and how the crowd cheered for them.”

O’Connor graduated with a master’s degree in taxation from Ole Miss in May. He earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Memphis. During the 2025 outdoor track season, O’Connor qualified for the NCAA East Regionals, where he finished 16th in the pole vault.

Barnette was totally surprised. After all, one does not usually receive a marriage proposal in front of more than 67,000 fans.

“Her mom, dad, my in-laws and my brother-in-law’s family are waiting in a suite,” Alex Templeton wrote in an Instagram post. “She had no idea they were here.”

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