Lane Kiffin Is at the Center of a Three-School SEC Storm

Ole Miss is having a remarkable season and is closing in on its first CFP appearance with a 10–1 mark heading into Friday’s Egg Bowl at Mississippi State. But the success has put a target on head coach Lane Kiffin, who has turned into the hottest coaching candidate in the SEC.

Kiffin is set to receive offers worth around $13 million to $14 million per year from LSU and Florida, according to On3. The offers are also expected to come with at least $25 million in NIL (name, image, and likeness) roster investment. 

CBS Sports reported that the Tigers, who are in the middle of a $53 million buyout dispute with former head coach Brian Kelly, are expected to offer a seven-year deal worth more than $98 million. That deal would mean a contract worth at least $14 million annually.

Kiffin’s Costly Crossroads

The 50-year-old coach could also choose to stay put, as Ole Miss is expected to offer him a similar deal. If Kiffin leaves for Florida or LSU, he would have to pay a $4 million fee to Ole Miss. 

Kiffin, who took over at Ole Miss in 2020, has four years remaining on a deal that pays him $9 million annually. He currently is the 10th-highest-paid college football coach in the country, but a deal averaging around $13 million annually would put him around the same range as Georgia’s Kirby Smart, the highest-paid coach in the land.

Denials, Deadlines, and Drama

Speculation about Kiffin’s decision heightened last week when it was reported that his family was seen visiting the campuses of the two conference rivals in Baton Rouge and Gainesville. Multiple outlets also reported that Kiffin was expected to decide on his future before the Egg Bowl after he was given the game as a deadline by Ole Miss AD Keith Carter. 

But Kiffin denied the reports Tuesday while appearing on The Pat McAfee Show.

“That’s absolutely not true,” Kiffin said. “There’s been no ultimatum or anything like that at all. So, I don’t know where that came from, like a lot of stuff that comes out there. We’re having a blast. I love it here.”

Carter, however, said Friday that an announcement on Kiffin’s future will come the day after the Rebels play their in-state rivals.