Lane Kiffin’s latest statement makes it sound like he might be finishing season with the Ole Miss Rebels
Lane Kiffin tried not to reveal anything about his future decision, but one comment made it sound like he might at least finish out the season with Ole Miss
The college football world is less than a week away from finally hearing the answer to the question everyone keeps asking. Where is Lane Kiffin going to head coach next? Will he return to Ole Miss? Will he go to the LSU Tigers or Florida Gators? We’ll apparently be hearing that answer this coming Saturday, according to Rebels athletic director Keith Carter.
However, regardless of what that inevitable future answer is, Lane Kiffin said something on Monday to media that made it sound like he might be staying with the Rebels through the end of this entire season either way.
Lane Kiffin says it’s very important that he finishes season with Ole Miss Rebels
Most fans and media have assumed — given all the alleged leaks, deadlines, and logistical needs of college football programs — that Lane Kiffin would be abandoning his Ole Miss Rebels team in the middle of their College Football Playoff run if he did indeed take the LSU Tigers or Florida Gators job. Not so fast.
Kiffin did a good job for the most part avoiding questions when it came to his head coaching future, but he did open up and given very clear answers two questions. One, “If that plays out, and you guys are able to go on a [College Football Playoff] run, how important is it to you to finish out the season with this team?” And two, “How much have you reflected on your past, leaving or staying different places? Has that helped you wade through this process?” His answers to both were quite revealing:
“Very important. I’ve never thought of anything different than [finishing out the season]…Over the years, the changes that I’ve made, I’ve had a lot of time to reflect on the things that have happened. And I really feel like they all happened exactly how they were supposed to happen, when they were supposed to happen. I just didn’t think it at the time. I thought they were disasters. It’s all part of my story. I spoke at my dad’s funeral. And I always wondered why we moved so much. It was hard on us as kids and everything. I realized that that was all just part of his story. All the people that came to the funeral, or wrote notes, from all the different places. I realized that was God’s plan for him to impact all those people, and have all those relationships. I think all of the stuff that happened [amid prior changes], happened how it was supposed to happen.”
First off, Lane said that it’s “very important” that he finishes out the season and he’s “never thought of anything different than that”. That sounds like he’s either planning on finishing out this year, or at least that would be his desire should Ole Miss and other programs involved let him do it, regardless of his future plans. That’s certainly not how many in the media are painting how this picture is supposed look like and play out.
Fans may not like the idea of him staying if his announcement on Saturday is that Kiffin is actually leaving after this season, but what would they rather him do? Jump ship in the middle of the best season in program history? Or give his all to the very end in pursuit of a championship? That answer may vary, as many Ole Miss fans already feel rejected by Kiffin, but this answer should actually give them hope.
If Lane Kiffin is planning on finishing out the season, why in the world would an LSU Tigers or Florida Gators program be okay with that? There’s early national signing day to kick off December. The transfer portal opens up to begin January. They’re going to need their new head coach in place by then, ideally for both windows.
On top of his short and sweet comments about finishing out the year, labeling his previous moves as “disasters” — or so he once thought — could speak to his thoughts on future moves as well. Kiffin has clearly learned so much, and from the sound of it he’s grown up since he jumped ship from Tennessee and bounced around for several years.
So, what does this mean? Perhaps nothing, but it could also mean everything. Kiffin may have just leaked his intentions to stay in front of everyone. If he truly is staying to finish out this season, he might just be choosing to stay with Ole Miss for the long run after all. We’ll find out soon enough.
We’ll be back with more Ole Miss Rebels coverage here at A to Z Sports soon! Follow me (@FF_TravisM) and A to Z Sports (@AtoZSportsNFL) on X for all the latest football news!
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Evaluating Lane Kiffin’s landing spots: why Florida, LSU, and Ole Miss all have their own unique appeal
It’s a fascinating decision for Lane Kiffin with three really good options in front of him.
