AD says the decision on Kevin’s future will come after the Egg Bowl
Ole Miss football fans — and Florida and LSU fans — will have to wait eight more days to find out where Lane Kiffin will coach after this season.
Ole Miss vice chancellor for intercollegiate athletics Keith Carter said Friday that an announcement about Kiffin’s future will come the day after the No. 6 Rebels play rival Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl in Starkville on Nov. 28.
Kiffin, who is in his sixth season at Ole Miss, is reportedly considering job offers at SEC rivals Florida and LSU.
The Rebels have offered Kiffin a long extension with a salary similar to what the Tigers and Gators are offering him, sources told ESPN.
Kevin met with Carter and Ollie Miss Counselor Glenn Boyce on Friday.
“Coach Kevin and I have had many clear and positive conversations regarding his future at Ole Miss, including meeting today with Chancellor Boyce,” Carter said. He added: “As we discuss next steps, we know we cannot lose sight of what is most important: our sixth-place team that is poised to end the regular season in historic fashion.”
Kiffin, 50, has led the Rebels to at least 10 wins in four of the past five seasons. He has a 54-19 record at Ole Miss.
On Sunday, Kevin’s ex-wife, Layla; His son Knox. Kevin’s nephew, Chris, visited Gainesville, Florida. Layla and other family members visited the LSU campus in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the next day.
With a 10-1 record this season, the Rebels are in position to make their first CFP appearance and possibly host a first-round game at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on Dec. 19 or 20.
“Despite the outside noise, Coach Kevin is focused on preparing our team for the Egg Bowl, and together we want to make sure our players and coaches can fully focus on next Friday’s game,” Carter said. “This team is on the cusp of an unprecedented season, and it is imperative that they feel the support of the Ole Miss family next week.”
Carter, a former Ole Miss basketball player who has been in charge of the athletics department since 2019, pushed Kiffin for clarity on his future and wanted to make a decision by the end of this week, sources close to the matter told ESPN earlier this week.
Ole Miss officials didn’t want the ongoing uncertainty surrounding Kiffin’s future to become a major distraction before the Rebels played their biggest rivalry game. They also wanted time to prepare for a potential move to interim coach before the CFP and search for Kevin’s replacement if he decided to leave.
The Rebels want to avoid a situation similar to the ugly departure of former Ole Miss coach Tommy Tuberville to Auburn in 1998. While speculation has intensified over Tuberville’s future, the Rebels have lost their last three games, including a 28-6 defeat to Mississippi State at home.
After the regular season ended, Tuberville said on his weekly radio show: “They’re going to have to get me out of here in a pine box.”
Tuberville left for Auburn two days later.