No. 6 Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin and the Rebels are preparing for a rivalry game against Mississippi State that could give the Rebels their best season ever.
Kiffin, and pretty much everyone else associated with the football program, would like for everyone else to focus on the Battle for the Golden Egg. But that was never going to happen with the rumors and speculation flowing fast and furious about Kiffin’s coaching future.
On Monday, Kiffin held his regular game week press conference and did the best he could to keep the focus on this week’s game and not his coaching future.
“I’ll take questions focused on this game, the season, and our players,” Kiffin said at the end of his opening statement.
Kiffin was only asked about his coaching future, in one way or another, three times and Kiffin had similar responses each time.
“Very fair question but we’re not answering anything that doesn’t have to do with the game and the team and the season, but fair question,” Kiffin said the first time.
“Very fair question but I’m not going into it because like I said at the beginning I’m gonna keep this to this team and in this game,” Kiffin said the second time a question was asked.
The third question drew a more Kiffin-like response.
“I mean you just keep going. I’m not gonna answer them. That’s three of them, you got another one?”
We were never going to learn anything about Kiffin’s coaching future at Monday’s press conference. The reason to watch was how Kiffin handled the situation and he handled it the best way he could.
Kiffin couldn’t stand up there and answer questions like “has a decision been made or is it still under consideration?” It’s like the old saying, if you give a moose a muffin he’ll want another one (or a glass of milk).
If Kiffin answers one question, he’ll spend a full hour answering questions and that won’t lead anywhere good.
Fortunately, for Kiffin, Monday was his last media availability until after Friday’s Egg Bowl game.
That’ll be a lot harder to avoid the questions about his coaching future, but it would be very much like Kiffin to win the Egg Bowl and announce he’s staying at Ole Miss in the post-game press conference.
It’s unlikely, but anything can happen. What’s more likely is something on Saturday. Maybe its a press conference or maybe its just a press release.
But considering the last time Kiffin held a press conference as he left a school, don’t expect that to happen this time around.
