College Football HQ

Lane Kiffin makes future at Ole Miss clear amid leaving rumors

Rowan Fisher Shotton|
Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin looks on during warm ups prior to the game against the Florida Gators at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.
Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin looks on during warm ups prior to the game against the Florida Gators at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

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Ole Miss Rebels

Ole Miss enters rivalry week as one of college football’s surprise national contenders.

The Rebels are 10-1 overall and 6-1 in the SEC, ranked No. 6 in the country and sitting on the edge of a possible SEC Championship berth and the College Football Playoff conversation.

On Monday, head coach Lane Kiffin — amid persistent speculation linking him to LSU and Florida — told reporters that finishing the season with this team is “very important” and that he has “never thought of anything different than that.”

“Over the years of the changes that I've made, I've had a lot of time to reflect on things that have happened. I really feel like, in age, I've figured out they all happened exactly how they were supposed to happen, when they were supposed to happen.”

“I just didn't think it at the time. I thought they were disasters. They're just all part of my story,” Kiffin added.

These comments came after an AD statement that Kiffin will coach the Egg Bowl and that an announcement about his future is expected the day after the rivalry game.

The coaching market around Kiffin has been intense.

Multiple outlets report LSU has prepared a blockbuster offer — widely described as a multi‑year, $90 million package when roster/NIL commitments are included — while Florida is also reported to be readying a top‑tier salary and NIL support to lure him to Gainesville.

Coverage indicates both programs have engaged Kiffin’s representatives and that Ole Miss officials have been in active discussions to retain him.

Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin.
Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin embraces linebacker Suntarine Perkins (4) during the second half against the Florida Gators at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Ole Miss travels to Starkville on Friday to face Mississippi State, a 5-6 team that can play spoiler but has struggled in conference play.

The Rebels control their immediate destiny for a historic season and will enter the game with both rivalry and postseason stakes, though Kiffin’s future in Oxford overshadows both.

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Rowan Fisher
ROWAN FISHER SHOTTON

Rowan Fisher-Shotton is a versatile journalist known for sharp analysis, player-driven storytelling, and quick-turn coverage across CFB, CBB, the NBA, WNBA, and NFL. A Wilfrid Laurier alum and lifelong athlete, he’s written for FanSided, Pro Football Network, Athlon Sports, and Newsweek, tackling every beat with both a reporter’s edge and a player’s eye.

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