It’s been the season of Lane Kiffin talks, and it’s coming down to the wire. The Rebels head coach was given a Nov. 28 deadline depicting his future, according to a report by The Athletic’s Stewart Mandel. However, Kiffin denied those rumors on The Pat McAfee Show Tuesday afternoon.
“That’s absolutely not true,” he told McAfee. “There’s been no ultimatum. We’re having a blast, I love it here.”
Mandel’s report said Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter told Kiffin he needed to decide his coaching future before the Egg Bowl, a rivalry matchup between Ole Miss and Mississippi State on Nov. 28. If Kiffin were to leave his current program, it’s reported that Florida and Louisiana State are among his top landing spots.
Following the Rebels’ most recent win against Florida, Kiffin deflected questions about his future.
“I love what we’re doing here,” Kiffin said Saturday. “Today was awesome, and I don’t want to talk about that stuff. And to even talk about it right now would be so disrespectful to our players and how well they played today.”
Following the firing of Florida’s former head coach Billy Napier on Oct. 19, Kiffin quickly became the favorite to take over in Gainesville. Kiffin has said in the past that he admires Steve Spurrier, and he even met his partner Layla Kiffin in Gainesville.
With Ole Miss, Kiffin has led the program to four 10-win seasons in his six years and he's on track to led the Rebels to its first College Football Playoff this season.
He was welcomed to Oxford, Mississippi, in 2020 immediately after securing a Conference USA Championship with Florida Atlantic. He brought FAU its greatest record since 2003 at 11-3.
Despite over a month of chatter, there has been a struggle to pinpoint a clear lead in the race for Kiffin. His family reportedly visited Gainesville and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on Sunday and Monday, respectively. Louisiana State fired Brian Kelly Oct. 26, but the school is currently in a dispute about the clarity of his termination.
Contact Riley Orovitz at rorovitz@alligator.org. Follow her on X @rileyorovitz.
Riley is a junior sports journalism student and a Fall 2026 sports editor and Gators football beat reporter. Currently in her third semester with The Alligator, she has previously covered Gators swim & dive and Gators gymnastics. She is an avid South Florida sports fan and enjoys playing/following all sports in her free time.
