Lane Kiffin has been focusing on his health in preparation for his second season at Ole Miss.

The Rebels head coach told ESPN's Chris Low he was motivated to lose weight after seeing a photo of himself, quarterback John Rhys Plumlee, and his father Monte Kiffin at the Outback Bowl last season. He's since shed at least 30 pounds and is using the weight loss as part of a lesson in accountability for his players.

"I saw a picture of me at the bowl game last year and told the players I looked like an anaconda that had swallowed a deer and the deer got stuck in its neck," Kiffin said. "Here I am in postseason meetings back in January telling my offensive linemen and other guys that they needed to eat better, lose weight, get in better shape, and I looked like a whale."

Kiffin also took some of his assistant coaches to have their body mass index measured and set up a weight-loss competition for his entire staff.

"We really saw his weight change," Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral said. "He dropped a lot of weight since January, and as players and seeing him go through that process, it just makes us more disciplined and helps us buy into the values and principles of the organization."

The Rebels open the season Sept. 6 at home against Louisville.