DOJO – Lane Kiffin is expected to accept LSU’s massive contract offer and leave Ole Miss, ending one of the most closely watched coaching dramas of the college football season, according to multiple reports.
LSU moves to finalize the deal
Sources told ESPN that LSU plans to hire Kiffin on Sunday, though the contract had not been officially signed as of late Saturday. Even so, one source said it “would be a shock” if Kiffin does not finalize the agreement.
LSU has offered Kiffin a seven-year deal worth roughly $12 million per year, potentially rising with bonuses. That salary would place him among the highest-paid coaches in college football.
Ole Miss prepares for Kiffin’s exit
Kiffin, 50, led Ole Miss to an impressive 11-1 regular season, capped by a dominant 38-19 rivalry win over Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl. The Rebels are widely expected to reach the 12-team College Football Playoff.
However, Ole Miss officials do not expect Kiffin to coach the team in the postseason if he accepts LSU’s offer. Administrators Keith Carter and Glenn Boyce insisted that Kiffin would not be allowed to lead the Rebels in the CFP if he takes a job with an SEC rival.
They also do not want Kiffin around players ahead of the transfer portal opening on Jan. 2, saying his presence could influence decisions and effectively turn postseason games into a showcase for LSU’s future.
Decision could come today
Kiffin is scheduled to meet with Ole Miss players at 2 p.m. ET Sunday, a meeting that was originally set for the morning. An announcement about his future is expected shortly after.
The delay followed a lengthy Saturday meeting between Kiffin, Carter, and Boyce at the chancellor’s residence in Oxford. Despite hopes within the program, an Alabama win over Auburn ended Ole Miss’ chances of reaching the SEC Championship Game — the only scenario that might have kept Kiffin on the Rebels’ sideline for one more week.
Even without Kiffin, Ole Miss is still in contention to host a first-round CFP game at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium later this month.
The choice ahead
Reports from The Athletic indicate that Kiffin is leaning toward LSU but had hoped to coach Ole Miss in its first playoff appearance. With no agreement yet announced, the college football world enters Day 2 of “Kiffin Watch”, waiting to see whether he stays with the program he rebuilt or leaves for one of its fiercest rivals.
