Major college football program pressured by Lane Kiffin coaching rumors

The coaching carousel is not only upon us, but quickly shaping the college football landscape once again as schools and coaches decide who stays, who goes, and for how much.

One of the major coaching changes (there have been a few) was the firing of Florida head coach Billy Napier, who the Gators owed a reported $21 million, and was fired after a 3-4 start. LSU kicked Brian Kelly out the door for a whopping $54 million, leaving both desirable jobs open for the taking.

But those two schools can wait, according to On3.com's Andy Staples, and another can't for one reason.

“Florida can wait until December or January to find the right coach. LSU can, too," Staples wrote. "The transfer portal doesn’t open until Jan. 2. Administrators at both schools knew they risked nuking one high school recruiting class when they fired their head coaches."

Ole Miss Reportedly Gives Lane Kiffin a Deadline

Sep 13, 2025; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin (right) reacts with Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics Keith Carter (left) after defeating the Arkansas Razorback at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

According to the report, Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter has given Kiffin until the start of the Egg Bowl to make a decision, although the Ole Miss head coach has since denied those rumors.

"Rebels athletic director Keith Carter wants to know before the start of Egg Bowl week whether Kiffin intends to coach the Rebels beyond the 2025 season," Staples wrote.

"Call it an ultimatum if you want; Kiffin said no such thing exists Tuesday on The Pat McAfee Show. And that’s semantically true because the stakes of the deadline aren’t entirely clear. We don’t currently know how Carter and Ole Miss will respond if Kiffin says he intends to leave. We do know, thanks to Kiffin, that he and Carter did hot yoga together on Tuesday morning.”

Reading Between the Lines in Coaching Season

Nov 15, 2025; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin stands on the sideline during the second half against the Florida Gators at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

By all means, the coaching world is unlike any other. A fan base or any media pundit can believe or disbelieve what any head coach says by either taking it as a grain of salt or taking a grain of salt and throwing it over their shoulder for luck. What Kiffin is saying publicly, and the notes Jimmy Sexton is passing under the desks to both programs, could be saying something else.

Time will tell whether either is true, but one thing is certain: the high-octane environment of college football is more prevalent than ever.

Ole Miss Reportedly Gives Lane Kiffin a Deadline

Reading Between the Lines in Coaching Season

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