Lane Kiffin dealt blunt reality check amid Florida, LSU rumors

Lane Kiffin’s future at Ole Miss intensifies as LSU and Florida pursue him amid rising playoff stakes.

Head coach Lane Kiffin would be forever known as a quitter if he leaves the Ole Miss Rebels this season for another job, according to ESPN's Dan Wetzel. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Lane Kiffin finds himself in the center of the sport again as questions swirl around his future at Ole Miss. The uncertainty has stretched across the start of Egg Bowl week while the school waits for clarity from the sixth year head coach.

The situation intensified when reports surfaced about members of Kiffin’s family visiting both Baton Rouge and Gainesville, raising attention at a moment when Ole Miss is pursuing its first College Football Playoff appearance.

The program’s rise under Kiffin sets the backdrop for the debate. Ole Miss is 10-1 and has posted double-digit wins in three of the past four seasons, something that had not happened since 1959 and 1960.

Athletic director Keith Carter has placed a contract extension in front of Kiffin while seeking a firm answer before the rivalry matchup with Mississippi State on Nov. 28. What happens if Kiffin goes past the deadline is still unclear.

If Lane Kiffin doesn’t meet deadline, Ole Miss would have to decide if it would allow him to coach in playoffs, sources told @On3sports. If there is no resolution, it will be an agonizing decision for Kiffin & the Rebels https://t.co/afmmmZC5wM

— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) November 17, 2025

During Monday’s episode of ESPN’s College GameDay podcast, college football analyst Dan Wetzel delivered pointed commentary about the idea of Kiffin leaving Ole Miss for another SEC job. Wetzel used the history of major hires to explain how decisions like this can shape a legacy.

He highlighted examples such as Scott Frost’s return to Nebraska, Brian Kelly’s move to LSU, and Pete Carroll becoming USC’s fallback option long before Carroll’s rise. When discussing Kiffin’s situation at Ole Miss, Wetzel drew a sharp line about what walking away would mean for his reputation.

Wetzel said, “I could see saying, we will just wait it out for Lane Kiffin because we will get somebody, but I also kind of feel like, look, man, if he is not committed, I do not want him. I just think the timing here, like how do you quit on Ole Miss? You'd better think you are going to win two or three national titles, your next place, because you will forever be known as the guy who quit.” He added that leaving without a clear reason would attach a "quitter" label that could follow a coach for the rest of his career.

Ole Miss Faces Deadline As Coaching Carousel Pressure Mounts

The tension has grown as LSU and Florida continue to pursue Kiffin as their top candidate. LSU sent a private airplane to Oxford to bring several members of his family to Baton Rouge, and his family also visited Gainesville over the weekend. Reports indicate Kiffin remains the leading candidate for both vacancies as prediction markets adjusted sharply following the trips.

Ole Miss, meanwhile, has positioned its request as a firm deadline before the Egg Bowl. If Kiffin does not provide clarity, questions remain about whether he would be allowed to coach in the postseason.

Reporter Brett McMurphy described it as an agonizing decision for both sides if no answer comes. The dynamic has formed at the exact moment the Rebels have reached historic ground with their 10-1 record and a likely College Football Playoff berth.

Ole Miss Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin and the Rebels are 10-1 this season. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Kiffin addressed his future after the win against Florida, saying, “I love what we are doing here. Today was awesome. To even talk about it right now would be so disrespectful to our players and how well they played today. We have got a lot of things going on here. Doing really well, and I love it here.”

The Rebels are on a bye this week and will play on the road at Mississippi State on Nov. 28 at noon ET on ABC.