OXFORD, Miss. — Lane Kiffin’s future as the Ole Miss football coach continues to hang in doubt after the completion of an hours-long meeting here Saturday and despite his intentions to coach at LSU.
Holding a $90-plus million offer from LSU, Kiffin and Ole Miss administrators were expected to discuss at the meeting his future — specifically his intention to continue to lead the No. 7 Rebels in the College Football Playoff despite, as of Friday, not agreeing to an extension with the school.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe meeting among Kiffin, Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter and chancellor Glenn Boyce lasted more than three hours, if it started at the scheduled time of 3 p.m. CT. Vehicles believed to belong to Carter and Kiffin were seen leaving the site of the meeting, the Ole Miss chancellor’s home, at about 6:45 p.m. on Saturday.
The university has not released a statement and officials did not return messages.
LSU officials believe they hold Kiffin’s commitment to be their next coach, though his desire to continue coaching Ole Miss in the postseason is a snag delaying the formalization of the move, sources tell Yahoo Sports.
The school’s courtship of Kiffin took a serious turn eight days ago, when Yahoo Sports reported that officials were gearing up to propose a seven-year contract exceeding $90 million, plus more than $25 million in guaranteed roster compensation — a salary that would make Kiffin, at the very least, tied for the highest-paid coach in the country.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementLSU executives remained confident Saturday — as they have now for a week — and expect the Ole Miss coach to move to Baton Rouge in an inner-conference poaching of one of their biggest SEC rivals.
“If he doesn’t come, we’ve been duped,” says one source with knowledge of Kiffin and LSU’s negotiations.
However, doubt lingers as Kiffin — despite his commitments to LSU officials — has publicly expressed indecision but has also not signed a lucrative contract extension with Ole Miss.
So many signs point to Kiffin’s exit.
Carter has already begun this week engaging with candidates, most notably Tulane’s Jon Sumrall and USF’s Alex Golesh, sources tell Yahoo Sports. However, Florida pivoted from Kiffin to Sumrall, as Yahoo Sports reported on Tuesday, and the Gators and Sumrall are believed to have a deal in principle. A final decision from Sumrall is expected by Sunday.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementGolesh, despite deep talks with Arkansas, remains unsigned and uncommitted. He’s drawing interest not just from Ole Miss but Auburn, too. At Auburn, interim coach DJ Durkin remains a candidate for the full-time job, but a decision on his possible hire won’t come until after the Tigers’ game against Alabama on Saturday night — a result that could weigh heavily on that move.
The accelerated coaching cycle, coupled with Kiffin’s delay in an announcement, puts the Rebels in a difficult position as so many coaches have re-signed with their schools or are in negotiations with others. Auburn remains in a similar position after Sumrall’s interest shifted to Gainesville.
If Golesh goes elsewhere — Auburn or Ole Miss — Arkansas is expected to shift its attention to candidates it previously interviewed, such as Memphis coach Ryan Silverfield and Alabama DC Kane Wommack.
Meanwhile, in Oxford, on a dark, cold and rainy night, university executives gathered with their coach at the Carrier House, the chancellor’s home that sits just a few steps from one of the main entrances to campus, tucked back off fraternity row.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe meeting drew attention in such a small college town as this.
At one point, a dark SUV slowed to a crawl out front of the home and a woman emerged from the passenger window, hanging out to snap a shot of vehicles out front. Those vehicles — a silver pickup truck and black escalade — pulled out of the home about an hour later.
At the center of the meeting was expected to be Kiffin’s desire to continue coaching Ole Miss in the playoff despite a potential commitment to LSU officials to be their coach. The Rebels are also still alive to play in the SEC championship game in Atlanta next weekend if Alabama loses at Auburn.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementUniversity administrators were not expected to permit Kiffin to continue coaching if his intentions are to leave for a rival program. The issue has sparked debate among many — arguing against and for the university to allow Kiffin to continue coaching his team.
Some of ESPN’s most prominent voices, like Kirk Herbstreit and Nick Saban, advocated for the school to permit him to coach the team in the postseason.
“If you are in charge at Ole Miss and Lane decides to go elsewhere, you need to set your emotions to the side,” Herbstreit said. “You need to look at 2025 and this team with their coach and giving them a chance to finish this run.”
Herbstreit also added that Ole Miss has to “accept” that Kiffin will likely leave for Baton Rouge. Saban said it would be “crazy” to stop Kiffin from coaching, at the very least, in the SEC championship game.
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