Ole Miss has nuclear option if Lane Kiffin remains undecided before Egg Bowl

Lane Kiffin keeps making it abundantly clear that he's super tight with Ole Miss Rebels athletic director Keith Carter.

6 a.m. yoga classes together. Check.

Hugging Carter's wife after Ole Miss' big win against the Florida Gators to improve to 10-1, joking about it after the game when a reporter mistakenly misidentified her as Kiffin's reconciled wife, Layla. Check.

Lane Kiffin, Kewan Lacy — Nov. 15, 2025; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin embraces running back Kewan Lacy (5) after defeating the Florida Gators at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

After telling reporters today that he and Carter talk all the time, Kiffin was a little more self aware about giving more love to Mississippi.

"Keith and I have a great relationship," Kiffin said. "We communicate daily on a lot of things, and I love it here. It’s been amazing, and we’re in a season that’s the greatest run in the history of Ole Miss at this point, having never been at this point. I think it’s really exciting."

Nov 15, 2025; 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

Everyone has an opinion of whether or not the 50-year-old head coach will stay in The 'Sip or bolt for the SEC blue bloods of either the LSU Tigers or Florida Gators. I've put my stake in the ground that his wife and family's ties to Oxford, with oldest daughter Landry and youngest son Knox both loving it there, will mean too much.

But maybe the new and improved Kiffin really hasn't learned anything the second time around.

What we're not considering is what if Ole Miss says they've had enough and decides to pull the nuclear option before the Egg Bowl against their inner-state rival Mississippi State Bulldogs with a College Football Playoff spot on the line and so much uncertainty around the head coach.

Paid administrative leave for Kiffin over firing him

Oct. 25, 2025; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Ole Miss Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin celebrates with fans after the game against the Oklahoma Sooners at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

If Ole Miss fires Kiffin without cause, the school would reportedly owe him over $36 million. If Kiffin leaves, he would owe the school $4 million.

So while it would be an unprecedented move in the modern age of college football, where the coaches hold all the power, it's something Carter should at least be considering.

"Firing Kiffin is a very unlikely if not impossible option considering his buyout," writes Yahoo! Sports college football insider Ross Dellenger. "According to experts more familiar with this sort of thing, placing Kiffin on paid leave — barring him from coaching the team against Mississippi State, in the SEC title game and/or in the playoffs — would be more likely, if the school does anything at all."

Lane Kiffin, Landry Kiffin — Sept. 27, 2025; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin poses for a photo with his daughter Landry Kiffin prior to the game against the LSU Tigers at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Obviously, as Dellenger points out, Kiffin would almost certainly leave.

Kiffin was asked that exact question today. And well, he was not happy.

“Why would I not expect to coach next week?," Kiffin said. "I expected to coach against Florida too, so I don’t even understand the question, how I would not be able to coach next week?"

Lane Kiffin, Layla Kiffin — Lane Kiffin and his wife Layla when he coached for the USC Trojans. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

But Ole Miss might never be in this kind of position to ever win a national championship. A distracted head coach, especially if he leaves, would almost certainly derail any chance of winning it all. Carter has already seen it happen in 2022 when Kiffin flirted with Auburn and Ole Miss stumbled to an 8-5 record after starting 7-0.

It's happened before

As On3's college football insider Brett McMurphy points out, the Michigan Wolverines won the NCAA Tournament in 1989 with an interim head coach named Steve Fisher (who eventually went on to have a successful coaching career at Michigan and San Diego State).

Will Ole Miss demand an “Ole Miss man” coach the Rebels in the playoff? Ole Miss has a decision to make like Michigan did in the 1989 NCAA Tournament when a “Michigan man” led Wolverines to titlehttps://t.co/9xJxW6TQQt
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) November 19, 2025

Bill Frieder had agreed to take a job at Arizona State with one week left in the regular season, assuming he'd get to coach through the tourney. He was wrong and was immediately let go.

Would Carter have the guts to pull the nuclear option?

As each day passes without a decision from Kiffin, it's something that should certainly be on the table. It's easy to say your school will be in the mix for a natty every season. Reality tells us otherwise, especially at Ole Miss, which hasn't won one since 1962.

Just ask Fisher. That 1989 title, even with the iconic Fab Five, was the only one he ever won in his career.

Fab Five, Michigan Wolverines — (From left) Ray Jackson, Chris Webber, Juwan Howard, Jalen Rose and Jimmy King will forever be known as the Fab Five. | Detroit Free Press-USA TODAY NETWORK

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