STARKVILLE, Mississippi. Lane Kiffin said he will decide Saturday whether he will return as Ole Misscoach in 2026 or get another job, presumably in LSUwhich is trying to lure him away from its SEC rival with a lucrative contract that would make him one of the highest-paid coaches in college football.
Kiffin speaking with reporters after No. 7 Rebels with a score of 38–19 on Mississippi on Friday in the Egg Bowl at Davis Wade Stadium, would say only that he would have to make a decision one way or another after Ole Miss athletics director Keith Carter and Chancellor Glenn Boyce said they needed an answer by Saturday.
“I feel like I should,” Kiffin said.
When asked if he had made a decision about where he would coach next season, Kiffin responded, “Yeah, no. This may surprise you. But, you know, I need to pray a little and figure it out.”
Kiffin said he plans to attend his son's high school playoff game in Tupelo, Mississippi, on Friday night. Knox Kiffin is Oxford High's starting quarterback.
“Tonight I'm going to be a dad and watch a game that's more important to me,” Kiffin said.
Kiffin wasn't sure what time he would make his decision Saturday.
“There's a lot [that goes] into it,” Kiffin said. – This is a difficult decision. Guys, you have them all the time. You have to make decisions about the jobs you take and where you move, and we get paid a lot, so I understand we are under a lot of scrutiny and scrutiny.”
Kiffin said he regretted not being able to talk to his father, Monte Kiffin, while trying to make one of the biggest decisions of his career. The longtime NFL defensive coordinator died in July 2024. He was 84 years old.
Kiffin, 50, turned to his ex for advice Alabama coach Nick Saban and Las Vegas Raiders coach Pete Carroll, his former boss at USCthe last few weeks.
ESPN reported earlier Friday that Floridawho also courted Kiffin, is now focused on other candidates in his search because the Gators believe he is more interested in other opportunities.
Carter and Boyce met with Kiffin a week ago in Oxford, Mississippi, and the parties agreed that Kiffin would make a decision the day after the Egg Bowl.
If the Egg Bowl was Kiffin's last game as coach of Ole Miss, it was a fitting end to one of his most successful tenures at the school in history.
As speculation about Kiffin's future continued to swirl over the past two weeks, the Rebels cruised past their opponents to claim their fifth win in the last six meetings in the heated series. The Rebels had 545 yards of offense at quarterback. Trinidad Chambliss passed for 359 yards with four touchdowns.
The Rebels (11-1, 7-1 SEC) have all but secured a spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff. They'll have to wait one more day to find out if they'll be in the SEC championship game next week in Atlanta.
No. 3 Texas A&M should have fallen to 16th place Texas on Friday night (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC) and no. Alabama would have to lose Auburn in Saturday's Iron Bowl (7:30 p.m. ET/ABC), where the Rebels will earn a berth in the SEC title game.
And of course, Ole Miss fans will be waiting until Saturday to find out which coaches will be on the bench for the CFP, which could begin with a first-round game at home on Dec. 19 or 20.
If Kiffin decides to leave for LSU, the former New York Giants Coach Joe Judge will likely serve as the Rebels' interim coach in the CFP, sources told ESPN.
