OXFORD, Miss. — The uncertainty surrounding Lane Kiffin’s position as the Ole Miss football coach remains after a lengthy discussion with university authorities on Saturday, though his leaning towards coaching at LSU in the upcoming season is reportedly solidifying. A team gathering for Ole Miss has been scheduled for 9 a.m. CT on Sunday.
With a reported offer exceeding $90 million from LSU, Kiffin and Ole Miss figures were slated to deliberate on his future during the meeting — notably his desire to guide the No. 7 Rebels in the College Football Playoff despite, as of Friday, not reaching an agreement on an extension with the university.
The discussion involving Kiffin, Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter, and chancellor Glenn Boyce reportedly spanned over three hours, assuming it commenced at the planned time of 3 p.m. CT. Automobiles, presumed to be those of Carter and Kiffin, were observed departing from the meeting location, the Ole Miss chancellor’s residence, at approximately 6:45 p.m. on Saturday.
The university has not issued any official statements, and officials have not responded to inquiries.
Sources indicate to Yahoo Sports that LSU officials believe they have secured Kiffin’s commitment to become their next coach, although his aspiration to continue coaching Ole Miss in the postseason is causing a delay in the formalization of the arrangement.
Reportedly, senior LSU administrators and Kiffin’s representatives engaged in a call following the Tigers’ game in Oklahoma to further cement the agreement, including travel arrangements: Sources with insight into the situation revealed to Yahoo Sports that the university intends to dispatch two aircraft to Oxford on Sunday to collect Kiffin, his family, and associates.
The university’s pursuit of Kiffin gained considerable momentum eight days prior, when Yahoo Sports detailed that officials were preparing to propose a seven-year contract valued at over $90 million, in addition to more than $25 million in guaranteed compensation for the roster — a salary that would position Kiffin as, at the very least, one of the highest-paid coaches in the nation.
LSU leaders reportedly remained confident on Saturday — as they have been for the past week — and anticipate the Ole Miss coach to transition to Baton Rouge, marking an inner-conference acquisition from one of their prominent SEC rivals.
“If his arrival doesn’t happen, we have been misled,” stated a source familiar with the negotiations between Kiffin and LSU.
Nevertheless, uncertainty lingers as Kiffin — despite his commitments to LSU officials — has openly expressed ambivalence but has also not finalized a lucrative contract extension with Ole Miss.
Multiple indicators suggest Kiffin’s departure.
Sources tell Yahoo Sports that Carter has already started engaging with potential candidates this week, most notably Tulane’s Jon Sumrall and USF’s Alex Golesh. However, as Yahoo Sports reported on Tuesday, Florida shifted its focus from Kiffin to Sumrall, and it is believed that the Gators and Sumrall have a preliminary agreement. A conclusive decision from Sumrall is anticipated by Sunday.
Golesh, despite advanced discussions with Arkansas, remains uncommitted. He is reportedly attracting interest from Ole Miss as well as Auburn. At Auburn, interim coach DJ Durkin remains under consideration for the permanent position, but a decision regarding his potential appointment will be made after the Tigers’ game against Alabama on Saturday night — a result that could significantly influence the decision.
The accelerated coaching changes, along with Kiffin’s delay in an announcement, places the Rebels in a challenging situation, as many coaches have re-signed with their respective schools or are in discussions with other programs. Auburn faces a similar predicament after Sumrall’s interest gravitated towards Gainesville.
Should Golesh choose another destination — Auburn or Ole Miss — Arkansas is expected to turn its attention to candidates they previously interviewed, such as Memphis coach Ryan Silverfield and Alabama DC Kane Wommack.
Meanwhile, in Oxford, on a dim, chilly, and wet evening, university officials convened with their coach at the Carrier House, the chancellor’s residence located just steps away from one of the main entrances to campus, tucked away from fraternity row.
The meeting garnered attention in the small college town.
At one point, a dark SUV slowed to a near stop in front of the residence, and a woman leaned out of the passenger window to photograph the vehicles parked out front. Those vehicles — a silver pickup truck and a black escalade — departed from the residence approximately an hour later.
The primary focus of the meeting was reportedly Kiffin’s desire to continue coaching Ole Miss in the playoff, even with a potential commitment to LSU officials to become their coach. The Rebels also remain in contention for a spot in the SEC championship game in Atlanta next weekend if Alabama loses at Auburn.
University administrators were reportedly not inclined to allow Kiffin to continue coaching if he intends to leave for a rival program. This issue has stirred debate among many — with arguments both for and against the university permitting Kiffin to continue coaching his team.
Prominent voices from ESPN, such as Kirk Herbstreit and Nick Saban, have advocated for the university to allow him to coach the team in the postseason.
“If you are in a leadership position at Ole Miss and Lane decides to pursue opportunities elsewhere, you need to set aside any personal feelings,” Herbstreit commented. “You need to consider the outlook for 2025 and provide this team with their coach the opportunity to conclude their season successfully.”
Herbstreit also suggested that Ole Miss has to “accept” the likelihood of Kiffin departing for Baton Rouge. Saban stated that it would be “unreasonable” to prevent Kiffin from coaching, at the very least, in the SEC championship game.
