As expected, Ole Miss football coach Lane Kiffin and Rebels athletic director Keith Carter met to discuss Kiffin’s coaching future as LSU and Florida have made their push to hire him away from Oxford.
Kiffin could easily end the drama by signing a contract extension that has been on his desk, but a statement released from Carter on Friday afternoon fails to mention that Kiffin will be the Rebels' head coach for the foreseeable future.
“Coach Kiffin and I have had many pointed and positive conversations regarding his future at Ole Miss, including meeting today with Chancellor Boyce. While we discuss next steps, we know we cannot lose sight of what is most important – our sixth-ranked team that is poised to finish the regular season in historic fashion. Despite the outside noise, Coach Kiffin is focused on preparing our team for the Egg Bowl, and together, we want to ensure that our players and coaches can concentrate fully on next Friday’s game. The team is on the cusp of an unprecedented season, and it is imperative they feel the support of the Ole Miss family in the week ahead. An announcement on Coach Kiffin’s future is expected the Saturday following the game,” Carter said.
So Kiffin will be employed by Ole Miss for at least one more week. Again, if he were going to stick around in Oxford, a contract extension would have been announced on Friday.
Meanwhile, in Baton Rouge, confidence is growing among LSU officials that Kiffin will be their next football coach. Reports say they are prepared to make him the highest-paid coach in college football, surpassing the $13.2 million that Kirby Smart makes at Georgia.
Those close to Kiffin say money in his banking account is not as important as NIL dollars available to bring in the best players to compete for a national championship every year. It is believed LSU is in a better position to do that than Florida.
It is also believed Ole Miss does not want Kiffin coaching the Rebels in the college football playoffs. They do not want the LSU or Florida coach coaching them in the CFP.
But they need Kiffin to finish the job in the regular season, beat Mississippi State, improve to 11-1, and the selection committee cannot keep the Rebels out.
The CFP selection committee could make a case to keep a 10-2 Ole Miss team out, especially if Kiffin is not on the sidelines.
Nothing is official, especially when it comes to Kiffin. Before last weekend, it seemed like Kiffin was heading to Florida; now the momentum is in LSU’s favor.
Next week is a short work week because of the Thanksgiving holiday, but it will be a long week for LSU officials and fans as they wait for the inevitable Ole Miss-Kiffin divorce to finally occur.