Rumors have only magnified this week about Lane Kiffin and Florida before No. 7 Ole Miss is set to host the Gators on Saturday.
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The Rebels are reportedly searching for a new head coach to take over for 2026 if Kiffin decides to bolt for another job.
Earlier this week, Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter told Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports that the program intends to keep Kiffin around for more than the rest of the season.
“Our hope is to finish this season really strong and hold on to him for a long time here,” Carter said. “He can build a legacy here that he might not have the opportunity to do at other places.”
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However, the Rebels could be forced into a position where they have make an immediate decision on Kiffin.
During an episode of “Josh Pate’s College Football Show” on Thursday, the host suggested that Kiffin will likely show interest in the LSU job in addition to Florida. Pate thinks Carter will have to hatch a plan to deal with Kiffin being a candidate for another SEC program amid a potential run in the College Football Playoff.
“Don’t even know if he finds it (LSU) the most desirable of the options that are going to be on the table for him,” Pate said. “Let’s just see how Ole Miss also chooses to handle Lane in the coming days because I mean, I’ve got my theories on how I would handle it if I were Keith Carter. The AD there, which matters about as much as any other words coming out of my mouth.
“But if I were an AD, I gotta have an answer, man. I can’t just sit here and twist in the wind. So that matters.”
Ole Miss has potential options if Kiffin chooses not to sign a contract extension during the upcoming bye week. One of those could be firing Kiffin.
It’s happened to Kiffin before. The Oakland Raiders fired Kiffin in 2008 “for cause”, meaning the Raiders did not have to pay the head coach the remainder of his contract. One of the reasons cited was a lack of concern for his contract with the team.
Kiffin filed a grievance to attempt to collect the lost salary, but an NFL arbitrator ruled in favor of the Raiders.
Via the Associated Press in 2010:
“Raiders executive John Herrera issued a statement to The Associated Press on Monday stating the ruling was an overwhelming victory for the Raiders.
“In the statement, Herrera said the league stated that Kiffin showed “a stunning lack of concern” for the terms of his contract and for the rules of the club.”
It’s unclear if Ole Miss would try and go the same route or if they’d find a favorable ruling like the Raiders did with the NFL if they were to try and fire Kiffin “for cause” on similar grounds.
However, Carter needs to protect the Rebels, not only for a potential run in the CFP, but for the long-term good of the program.
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