Florida or LSU? Ole Miss coach Lane
Kiffin's coaching decision will be revealed after the Egg Bowl
[November 22, 2025]
OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin will announce
his next move — likely Florida or LSU — after the Egg Bowl against
Mississippi State.
Athletic director Keith Carter released a statement Friday saying a
decision on Kiffin’s future is expected Nov. 29, the day after the
fifth-ranked Rebels play their in-state rival.
It could be an agonizing wait for the Tigers, the Gators and the
Rebels, although most outsiders believe Kiffin staying in Oxford for
a seventh season is a long shot.
“Coach Kiffin and I have had many pointed and positive conversations
regarding his future at Ole Miss, including meeting (Friday) with
Chancellor (Glenn) Boyce,” Carter said. “While we discuss next
steps, we know we cannot lose sight of what is most important — our
... team is poised to finish the regular season in historic
fashion."
Carter said Kiffin remains focused, and the announcement timeline
ensures the Rebels' players and coaches “can concentrate fully on
next Friday’s game.”
“This team is on the cusp of an unprecedented season, and it’s
imperative they feel the support of the Ole Miss family in the week
ahead,” he said.
Behind Kiffin's next landing spot, the second-biggest question is
whether Kiffin would stick around — or be allowed to stay — to coach
Ole Miss through a potential College Football Playoff berth.
The Rebels' current standing in the CFP rankings has them poised to
host a first-round game if they beat the Bulldogs. The selection
committee, however, would be working within its guidelines if it
factored the disruption of a coaching change into a team's final
seeding.
Ole Miss (10-1, 6-1 Southeastern Conference, No. 6 CFP) does not
play this weekend. The bye allowed Kiffin to meet with Florida and
LSU officials.
The Gators fired Billy Napier in mid-October and set their sights on
Kiffin. LSU fired Brian Kelly a week later, creating a tug-of-war
over a 50-year-old coach who is considered one of the top offensive
minds in the game.
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Mississippi head coach Lane Kiffin leave the field following an NCAA
college football game against The Citadel, Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025,
in Oxford, Miss. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Kiffin’s family members took scouting trips to Gainesville and Baton
Rouge, and he met with administrators and fundraisers on several
occasions. He even reportedly sat down with Louisiana Gov. Jeff
Landry, who publicly slammed former LSU athletic director Scott
Woodward for giving Kelly a 10-year contract worth about $100
million in 2022.
Will he stay at the place he called “utopia” and turned into a
perennial winner with his ex-wife and kids nearby? Will he move back
to Florida, where his father became one of the most respected
defensive coordinators in NFL history? Or will he land at LSU, where
three of its last four coaches won national championships.
Kiffin politely declined to talk about job openings this week. He
sidestepped several questions about ongoing overtures from Florida,
LSU and Ole Miss.
“I’m going to stay on what I’ve done for six years, which isn’t
talking about other jobs and that situation,” said Kiffin, who
denied reports Tuesday that Ole Miss had given him an ultimatum. “I
love it here, and it’s been amazing. And we’re in the season — the
greatest run in the history of Ole Miss at this point (and) having
never been at this point.
“So I think it’s really exciting. … I’m just living in the moment —
it’s amazing — and our players are, too. I see their joy about
practice, season, where they’re at and have so much on the line.
It’s just awesome to be a part of.”
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