Ole Miss is in the midst of a historic run. The Rebels are 10-1 and an Egg Bowl win away from cementing an inaugural College Football Playoff appearance, one where the team would likely host an opening postseason matchup. However, one thing has loomed over the resounding victories for Ole Miss — Lane Kiffin’s next move as a head coach.
Amid reports that both Florida and LSU are actively pursuing Kiffin to be the next head coach of their respective programs, Ole Miss athletics director Keith Carter is working to preserve the institution that currently employs Kiffin and pays him a lot of money in the process.
Since Florida fired former head coach Billy Napier and LSU let go of former frontman Brian Kelly, though an ongoing legal dispute about Kelly’s buyout persists, Kiffin has been paraded as the top candidate for both jobs. And for good reason, given that he has won 54 games in fewer than six full seasons in Oxford and has helped Ole Miss ascend to national relevance.
On Sunday, members of the Kiffin family are rumored to have touched down in Gainesville to presumably scope the landscape for a possible move to Florida, though a source disputes that the visit occurred. The family traveled to Baton Rouge on Monday in the event that Kiffin decided to jump ship to LSU. All of this, of course, is remarkably unprecedented when the star of the show is currently coaching a potential playoff-bound team that is in the same conference as his suitors.
For that, Ole Miss is seeking clarity and a decision from Kiffin. Carter, per multiple sources close to the scene, has given Kiffin an ultimatum of sorts, ramping up the pressure for the Rebel head coach to make a decision, or to at least inform Ole Miss of his intentions. The specific date of a decision was not provided to SuperTalk Mississippi News, but a source said it would come before the Egg Bowl.
If Kiffin elects to sign an extension at Ole Miss — and a lucrative one currently sits on his desk — he would have full access to the kingdom he has built in a town that aided in reviving his career. If he decides to bolt, sources say he would not be allowed to coach in the College Football Playoff and that Ole Miss would appoint an interim to fill his place, potentially quarterbacks coach Joe Judge.
The off-field drama this year is not unlike others in the recent past. In 2022, Kiffin was preparing to be the next head man at Auburn until his daughter, Landry, an Ole Miss student, played a crucial role in convincing him to stay put, as was documented by an E60 special about the head coach’s many stops in the football world. While Kiffin ultimately stayed, the air of lingering wanderlust has seemingly not, as evidenced by family visits to two SEC cities in two days.
Kiffin is represented by Jimmy Sexton, inarguably the most powerful agent in college football. Sexton is known for negotiating massive contracts for his clients while using all sorts of leverage to reel in as much money and as many guarantees as possible. With Kiffin, the Sexton effect is magnified by the coach’s larger-than-life persona and constant camera coverage.
In essence, Kiffin is currently the hottest commodity for two programs that have won national titles, boasted Heisman Trophy winners, and play in massive stadiums — all things that appease the Ole Miss coach. Then there’s Ole Miss, a program that has flourished in the name, image, and likeness era of college football, and one that has beaten both LSU and Florida this season.
Under Carter’s leadership in the athletics department, Ole Miss has proven to be a formidable player among the “blue bloods” of the SEC in terms of shoring up resources and support for the football team. Kiffin’s track record of success has certainly been a major factor in drumming up monetary donations and fan engagement.
Now that we’ve reached what appears to be the apex of an inevitable decision for Kiffin to stay in Oxford or seek another destination, Ole Miss has reportedly given its head coach a decision to make and a deadline to make it. As of now, sources are unsure of Kiffin’s next move. Some think he ultimately stays put, while others believe the opportunity to restore a powerhouse to glory may be too good to pass up.
One thing is for certain: the Rebels are slated to move up a spot or two when the updated College Football Playoff poll is released on Tuesday night. Will the constant social media rumblings and bits from national outlets pose as a distraction for the Ole Miss players? That is yet to be determined. Ole Miss fans will likely know more when their team travels to Davis Wade Stadium to face Mississippi State in one of the sport’s most bitter rivalries on Black Friday.
