Lane Kiffin, Mike Leach Lobby To Remove Confederate Symbol From MS State Flag

Lane Kiffin and Mike Leach were part of a group of nearly 50 people who met with the Mississippi state legislature on Thursday ... calling for the Confederate symbol to be removed from the state flag immediately!

Kiffin is the head football coach at Ole Miss. Leach runs the program at Mississippi State -- but both are on the same page when it comes to the Confederate battle flag image on the MS state flag.

Other coaches and athletic directors from other colleges in Mississippi were also in attendance on Thursday -- all hoping they can persuade lawmakers to remove the image for good.

Earlier this week, Miss. State star RB Kylin Hill said he would no longer represent the state if the flag wasn't changed -- and other players have echoed his statement.

After Kiffin attended Thursday's conference, Hill said the move "Put a smile on my face."

Kiffin spoke with ESPN about the decision to attend the event ... saying, "We removed the flag from our campus five years ago, so we've made it clear that it doesn't represent who we are at Ole Miss."

"Today is another big step in doing our part to move the state forward and ensure a more welcoming environment for everyone. This is extremely important to me and to our players. Time to change!"

In related news, the SEC and NCAA both announced conference championships and other postseason games will not take place in Mississippi until a change is made to the state flag.

House Speaker Philip Gunn seemed to get the message on Thursday ... saying, "The image of our state is at stake here. The nation is watching. They want to know what we stand for."