Florida Falls Short in Kiffin Race as Ole Miss Coach Chooses SEC Rival, per On3 Report

Shortly after reports indicated Florida was moving on from Lane Kiffin, On3 reported the Ole Miss head coach had made his decision.

Ole Miss Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin was targeted by both Florida and LSU during the two's coaching searches. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

At long last, the Lane Kiffin saga appears to be over.

After a three-team race between the Florida Gators, LSU and Ole Miss turned into a two-team race with the Gators reportedly backing out, Kiffin will coach at LSU in 2026, On3's Brett McMurphy, Chris Low and Pete Nakos reported shortly before 2 a.m. ET on Sunday morning.

Kiffin is expected to officially announce the decision on Sunday.

Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin answers questions from the press after a college football game between Mississippi State and Ole Miss. | Ayrton Breckenridge/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Kiffin was considered Florida's top candidate during the search and was a rumored possibility for the Gators' head coach after the 2021 season, when Florida hired Billy Napier, and in 2024, when it seemed imminent that Napier would be fired.

When Napier was fired on Oct. 19, Kiffin was immediately named by outsiders as a possible candidate and reportedly addressed the position with his team days later. Throughout the season, which included a 34-24 win over the Gators on Nov. 15, Kiffin refused to discuss his future and other open coaching jobs.

"I'm gonna stay on what I've done for six years, which isn't talking about other jobs and that situation," Kiffin said when asked about providing clarity on his future to Ole Miss during last week's SEC Coaches Teleconference. "(AD) Keith (Carter) and I - I've seen him twice already today. Keith and I have a great relationship. We communicate daily on a lot of things, and I love it here, and it's been amazing."

Members of his family reportedly visited Gainesville over a week ago before taking a tour of Baton Rouge a day later.

Last week, Kiffin's representatives met with Florida representatives, including athletic director Scott Stricklin. However, LSU was still considered the favorite by many national media members, and Florida eventually moved on earlier this week to shift its focus to other candidates.

The Rebels (11-1) are expected to host a first-round game in the College Football Playoff. Kiffin is not expected to be a part of the team's chase for a national title.

After Florida dropped out, Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall immediately became a candidate of interest and the favorite to land the job, despite Sumrall reportedly pulling himself out of the pool of candidates after a planned meeting with UF was leaked and then cancelled.

Sumrall is expected to decide on Sunday between taking the Florida job or remaining at Tulane, which offered him a multi-year extension averaging at $4 million per year, according to Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger.

He is also a candidate at Auburn and a rumored candidate at Ole Miss.

Jon Sumrall said he will talk to his family tonight and visit with Tulane AD David Harris tomorrow to discuss his future. He said “opportunities” have presented themselves to him but that he wants & plans to coach the team in the American Conference championship game Friday.

— Jeff Duncan (@JeffDuncan_) November 30, 2025