It’s impossible to be a college football fan and not know how much Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin’s name is being mentioned in connection with other coaching vacancies.
A person that’s been in a coma probably knows, too. That’s how much talk has taken place in less than 72 hours after LSU fired Brian Kelly.
Ole Miss fans aren’t likely to be amicable to these discussions, but it’s a by-product of the success Kiffin has had in Oxford.
There isn’t likely to be anything to dampen the talks about Kiffin leaving Ole Miss for LSU or Florida (or Penn State, Arkansas and every other open job except, maybe, UAB).
The only thing that could change the narrative is Ole Miss announces a huge contract extension for Kiffin.
That’s what Indiana did with Curt Cignetti three days after Penn State fired James Franklin and a bunch of speculation about how much cash the Nittany Lions need to put in a Brinks truck to lure Cignetti.
Until that happens, the speculation about Kiffin will continue.
But here’s a sliver of hope for Ole Miss fans hoping Kiffin stays in Oxford.
How would the whole process work if Kiffin decides to take the LSU or Florida job AND the Rebels make it into the College Football Playoff?
The regular season ends in late November and that’s when a lot of these jobs will be filled, especially the ones not bowl eligible.
Let’s use Florida for a quick hypothetical scenario since they’re not likely to win six games this season (currently 3-4).
Florida’s last game is November 29 against Florida State. So, November 30 is the earliest we can expect an official hiring announcement. The CFP’s first round is scheduled to being December 19.
Would Florida delay announcing it’s hired Kiffin to take over its team until after Ole Miss’s run in the CFP ends?
Maybe. But how would that impact recruiting? How would it impact Florida’s players decisions to enter the transfer portal? How would it impact Florida’s recruitment of the transfer portal? What about a coaching staff?
A lot of important tasks would either be put on hold or conducted in secret (which usually doesn’t stay secret) and possibly set up Florida for an even worse 2026 season.
What if Florida didn’t delay its announcement? It’d help with the questions listed above, but also presents a more troubling question.
Would Kiffin still coach Ole Miss in the playoffs?
In theory, it could be done. It’d be messy and difficult, but it could be done. But any Ole Miss celebrations in the playoffs would be dampened because everyone knows the coach is leaving.
Also, Kiffin has some history with coaching a team in the postseason while having already accepted a position at another school. How would that experience effect Kiffin’s and others’ decisions?
It’d be an absolute mess and it’s why I don’t think Kiffin will leave Ole Miss.
Of course, all of this is dependent on the Rebels making the playoffs. If they don’t then all bets are off.
