For the third straight Sunday in the 2025 NCAA season, a college football head coach has been fired. Programs like the Florida Gators and LSU Tigers are seemingly waving the white flag on their years. However, the Ole Miss Rebels (currently 7-1, 4-1 SEC) still have everything in front of them, which left Lane Kiffin with no choice but to address the rumors around his future.
Following a statement 34-26 win over the Oklahoma Sooners on the road, Kiffin cemented his name as the number one coaching candidate across college football. However, Kiffin appears to have no time to think about any other school other than the University of Mississippi.
Perhaps, his words won’t be enough to cancel out the noise surrounding the program in Oxford. Still, Kiffin opted to address the situation, delivering a sincere message to his players and staff, as his name is linked to the vacancies in the University of Florida and Louisiana State University.
“I usually don’t talk about it with the team, because we’ve dealt with this for a number of years, because our players have performed really well and won a lot of games here,” Kiffin admitted during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show. “And so this attention has come with that.
head coach Lane Kiffin of the Mississippi Rebels.
“I just told them, ‘Hey, this is a product of how you guys play.’ Fans [say] ‘we want that system.’ And they say, ‘coach,’ but really it’s the system of the players and the assistant coaches, and what a good job they do. So I just told them, that’s a compliment to them.”
see also
LSU fires Brian Kelly: What’s his buyout and who are candidates to replace the head coach?
All bark, no bite
Kiffin is the top choice for fellow SEC programs, Florida and LSU, in their search for a new head coach after firing Billy Napier and Brian Kelly, respectively, midway through the 2025 NCAA season. However, there’s not much traction to the schools’ desire.
Kiffin is under contract with Ole Miss through the 2031 season. As reported by USA Today, by securing his seventh win of the campaign, Kiffin automatically triggered another year on his deal in Oxford. Therefore, as long as the Rebels remain alive and well in the SEC—with a legitimate chance to make the College Football Playoff—there isn’t much room for rumors or reports about Kiffin leaving for another job in the league.
Lane Kiffin at Kroger Field on September 06, 2025 in Lexington, Kentucky.
If the moment comes
However, if the day finally comes when Kiffin must make a decision about his future, the head coach has made one thing crystal clear about his mindset: his judgment won’t be clouded by dollar signs—no matter how many, how big, or how flashy they appear on a potential contract.
see also
Gridiron giants: Tracking the most successful college football programs ever
“Just so you know, because you haven’t known me very long, Pat, I have never made a decision based off money, nor will I,” Kiffin firmly stated. “I’ve seen too many examples in life where money does not buy happiness. So I’m never going to make a decision off of money, nor do I care about it.”
In today’s college football landscape, where money has become a pulling force in more ways than one for both coaches and players, Kiffin’s admission breaks the trend. If the head coach ever does consider a change of scenery, his next program will have to win him over with anything but money.
SurveyWhere should Kiffin coach in 2026?
Where should Kiffin coach in 2026?
ALREADY VOTED 0 PEOPLE
