Urban Meyer issues reality check to Lane Kiffin amid LSU, Florida rumors

Arguably no other head coach in modern college football history can more precisely understand the dilemma Lane Kiffin finds himself facing than Urban Meyer.

To leave, or not to leave, a smaller program you helped build into a contender? Meyer was faced with a similar question, and now he’s offering a friendly warning of sorts to Kiffin that the decision he’s about to make could haunt him the rest of his days.

The decision could haunt Kiffin

The prospect of leaving Ole Miss at the moment it emerged as a national championship contender “might haunt Lane for the rest of his life,” Meyer told Colin Cowherd.

“I mean, just personally, how do you walk into that meeting and say, ‘Hey guys, not only am I leaving, but I’m going to be playing you next year’? I don’t know.”

"That might haunt Lane…how do you walk in that meeting and say, ‘Hey guys, I’m not only leaving, I’m gonna be playing you next year?’ I don’t know" – Urban Meyer on Lane Kiffin pic.twitter.com/WN494PfFbV
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) November 25, 2025

Meyer isn’t wrong about the idea that Kiffin could be faced with exactly that situation.

Ole Miss is currently scheduled to play against both LSU and Florida next season, so whichever school he ultimately chooses, aside from remaining with the Rebels, will almost certainly have him coaching against his former players there.

Meyer has been there before

Meyer helped put Utah into contention for a national title before ultimately moving on to ultimately greener pastures at Florida, where he won two national championships, and then to Ohio State, where he won a third.

It’s similar to the predicament Kiffin finds himself in, the prospect of leaving a smaller school in the midst of historic success for a more established SEC program.

“I had a similar situation when I was at the University of Utah and we went undefeated, the first small school to break into the BCS, and I left and went to Florida,” Meyer added.

“And that just ripped your heart out. I went back and coached the last game in the Fiesta Bowl and won. This is unchartered waters, though.

“To leave a team that could potentially, other than Ohio State and maybe A&M and Indiana [this season], I’m telling you, Ole Miss is right there.”

What the markets are saying

Whether the decision will haunt Kiffin for the rest of his life, only time will tell, but it’s a decision that speculators ultimately believe he will make.

Kiffin remains the solid betting favorite to become the next head coach at LSU with 64 percent odds, according to the latest numbers from the prediction market Kalshi.

And he’s also the top name on the Kalshi leader board for the Florida position at 33 percent likelihood.

Where Kiffin is trending

Going simply by recent reporting, it would appear LSU remains the favorite to acquire Kiffin, with Florida dropping out of the spotlight in recent days.

LSU has garnered much of the attention around the Kiffin decision given its reportedly preparing a financial package that could make him the richest coach in college football.

All odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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