Nick Saban Playing Role in Lane Kiffin's Decision Amid Ole Miss, LSU, Florida Pursuit

Saban has played an integral role in Kiffin's career, broken down advice given to the coveted decision-maker.

Alabama football coach Nick Saban stands on the turf inside Bryant-Denny Stadium during his team's media day in 2019. | Gary Cosby Jr. / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ole Miss Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin has emerged as the biggest name on the market this fall with multiple SEC programs in a bidding war for his services.

In what has emerged as a three-team battle between the Ole Miss Rebels, LSU Tigers, and Florida Gators, the "Kiffin Sweepstakes" are heating up with a decision looming.

Ole Miss Athletics Director Keith Carter met with Kiffin last Friday where both parties decided he will coach the Egg Bowl vs. Mississippi State on Nov. 28 - then make an announcement on his plans for the future the next day [Nov. 29].

No. 7 Ole Miss (10-1, 6-1 SEC) is firmly in the College Football Playoff race, but as Kiffin remains non-committal to the school, it's overshadowed the historic 2025 campaign.

With a verdict near, college football icon Nick Saban has played a role in Kiffin's decision-making process while providing advice to the coveted head coach.

Oct 2, 2021; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin talks with Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban before the start of an NCAA college football game at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Butch Dill-Imagn Images | Butch Dill-Imagn Images

Nick Saban's Take: Avoid Distractions

“I think you have to be upfront and honest with your team about things like this, and any time we had a disruption or a distraction, I brought it up to the team and I challenged them to handle it in a mature way,” Saban said Wednesday on The Pat McAfee Show.

"An example: when we got school shut down (in 2020) on the first day of Spring practice and they said, ‘You’ve got to go home, you can’t practice, Covid is here so we’re shutting it down,’ I called the team in and said, ‘Hey look, this is a great opportunity for us. Whoever handles this disruption the best is going to have the best chance to win a championship.’ And who won the championship?”

“How you handle disruptions and distractions like this determines the maturity of your team and their ability to stay focused on the things that matter. That’s what maturity is – can you stay focused on the things that matter?” Saban continued, effectively speaking directly to the Ole Miss locker room.

Sep 23, 2023; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban, left, talks with Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin, right, before the game at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Butch Dill-Imagn Images | Butch Dill-Imagn Images

“And what people are saying on the internet doesn’t really mean anything. So, stay focused on the things that matter, which is how you play. You want to play in the NFL someday, you want to get drafted, you want to make more money next year as a college player, go play good. That’s what you need to do.

"So that’s what you need to focus on. Not where your coach is going to go, not what’s happening, not what people are saying – and nobody knows the answer to that. It isn’t an easy thing to control outside noise, but that’s the way I always tried to do it.”

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

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