$15 Million Coach Emerges as Ole Miss Candidate if Lane Kiffin Departs the Rebels

As the Ole Miss Rebels await a decision from head coach Lane Kiffin, the program sits in a unique position with a College Football Playoff berth within arms reach.

No. 5 Ole Miss (10-1, 6-1 SEC) has an opportunity to clinch in a spot in the 12-team bracket, but the future of Kiffin has America's attention while he remains noncommittal to the Ole Miss program.

The LSU Tigers and Florida Gators are in pursuit of Kiffin with all eyes on where the Rebels decision-maker will land in 2026.

Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter has been vocal about his desire to keep Kiffin in Oxford with a contract extension dialed up, but the Rebels shot-caller has entertained other options to this point.

Earlier this week, LSU officials sent a private plane to Oxford to pick up Kiffin's family to tour Baton Rouge and the surrounding areas of the campus. Kiffin's family was in Gainesville 24 hours prior.

Ole Miss Rebels Football: Lane Kiffin. — Courtesy of Ole Miss Rebels Football.

Now, as Kiffin's future remains in limbo with the Ole Miss Rebels, the programs shot-caller has remained relatively mum on the subject.

“I’ve said it before, if programs want your coach, that should be looked at as an amazing thing and a great thing by your fans,” Kiffin said during Wednesday's SEC Teleconference.

“So if programs want your coach because you’re 10-1 or whatever, and have three 10-win seasons in a row, which has never been done before, is that a good thing that other programs want your coach because you’ve experienced success that it’s never had?"

If Kiffin were to depart Oxford this offseason, college football analyst Josh Pate believes the Ole Miss Rebels should pursue Tulane Green Wave head coach Jon Sumrall.

Ole Miss Rebels Football. — Sep 20, 2025; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin (left) and Tulane Green Wave head coach Jon Sumrall (right) embrace after the game at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

"All due respect, mountains of respects, to Lane Kiffin. If I'm Ole Miss, I want you to be my head coach. But if it's not you, I'm going to be okay. I need to know sooner rather than later," Pate said.

"And I'm going to be okay because you know what I think? I think I could be very competitive with Auburn in trying to pursue Jon Sumrall. That's what I think because there aren't many places in the SEC right now that are set up better to succeed than Ole Miss."

Sumrall has emerged as the top target for the Auburn Tigers in their coaching search, but if the Ole Miss job was to come available, things would get fascinating with the Tulane head coach as a candidate for the Rebels.

The future of Kiffin remains the hottest topic in college football with the program in Oxford awaiting a decision as a contract extension waits to be signed.

More Ole Miss News:

National Analyst Believes Miami Dolphins Should Hire Ole Miss Football's Lane Kiffin

Ole Miss Football Great Doubles Down on Lane Kiffin to Florida Gators 'Not Happening'

Tony Vitello Pokes Fun at Ole Miss Football's Lane Kiffin in Goodbye to Tennessee

Join the Community:

Follow Zack Nagy on Twitter: @znagy20 and Ole Miss Rebels On SI: @OleMissOnSI for all coverage surrounding the Ole Miss program.