The Ole Miss Rebels’ coaching future is uncertain as Lane Kiffin continues to field interest from some top-tier college football coaching opportunities.
Kiffin is the hottest candidate in the ongoing coaching carousel. The 50-year-old Ole Miss program leader has reported interest from Florida and LSU — both of whom are on the hunt for their next head coach following midseason firings of Billy Napier and Brian Kelly.
During an appearance with “The Pat McAfee Show” on Tuesday, Kiffin refuted a report that Ole Miss has given him an ultimatum to decide on his coaching future before the Rebels’ Egg Bowl matchup against Mississippi State on Nov. 28.
“That’s absolutely not true, anything like that at all … I don’t know where that came from,” Kiffin said. “I love it here. We’re having blast. It just couldn’t be better. You pray for things. Our fans prayed for this type of thing, now we’re in the middle of it, so enjoy it.”
During Wednesday’s episode of “First Take,” ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith sent a blunt wake-up call to Ole Miss fans who believe Kiffin will stay put in Oxford moving forward.
One quote from Smith’s rant stood out: “He ain’t staying at Ole Miss. Get over it.”
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“Ole Miss? I don’t have that kind of faith that a sustained level of excellence is incomparable to what those two programs have done under Kirby Smart and Nick Saban,” Smith said. “… I don’t have that type of confidence. But that man, Lane Kiffin at LSU, that man, Lane Kiffin at Florida, oh that’s a different beast right there. Lane Kiffin knows what he’s talking about. The man has done his job, go out there, try and win a national championship, and then get your [expletive] to Baton Rouge or get your [expletive] to Gainesville, Florida. Stop playing games. He ain’t staying at Ole Miss. Get over it. Be happy you had him all of these years and be prepared to wave bye bye. That man will be gone to either Gainesville or Death Valley come January. You can book it because he ain’t stupid. He knows, everybody knows.”
Kiffin and the No. 6 Rebels are 10-1 as they enter their final regular-season matchup against Mississippi State. The team’s only loss of the 2025 college football season came in a closely-contested road matchup against Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs on Oct. 18.
Ole Miss’ regular-season finale against Mississippi State will kickoff at noon ET on Nov. 28.
