by Andrew Vines ’29 on December 11, 2025
College Football
In the midst of the college football playoff hunt, fans of the University of Mississippi were more focused on what was going on off the field than the team playing in the Egg Bowl on Friday, Nov. 28. If Ole Miss beat their rival Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl they would secure a college football playoff spot, but the fans and the sports world were more focused on the uncertainty of Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin’s future. Their win in the Egg Bowl was followed by a Saturday of fans waiting for an answer as Kiffin met with university administrators all day and left fans with no answer until Sunday.
After slow starts to the season, both Louisiana State University and the University of Florida fired their coaches, Brian Kelly and Billy Napier, respectively. Both of these programs are historic Southeastern Conference (SEC) brands that are considered better jobs than fellow SEC program Ole Miss, due to their histories and ability to recruit high-level talent. However, in Kiffin’s situation, many thought it would be better for him to stay at Ole Miss. Although LSU and Florida have big reputations, the jobs also come with high expectations and a short leash. During his six seasons in Oxford, Kiffin and the Rebels had a record of 55–19 and had the opportunity to build a program that competed for a national title annually. At his current trajectory, he likely would’ve ended up being the best coach in Ole Miss history and could’ve had a statue built for him. Kiffin would have had all this at an SEC program with a longer leash than LSU or Florida.
There was a lot of speculation about whether Kiffin would leave or not. LSU offered him over $90 million for seven years. Ole Miss reportedly said they would match this contract, but LSU also promised over $20 million a year towards Kiffin’s roster. In the new age of college sports, additional Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) money can go a long way.
Leaving a team like this is nothing new for Kiffin, who left the University of Tennessee in 2010 after one season for a job at the University of Southern California. This caused an uproar in Knoxville, and when he returned as the Ole Miss head coach years later, fans threw an array of items on the field, including a golf ball and a mustard bottle. His return to Oxford should be more eventful given the time and manner in which he left.
After Kiffin’s decision to leave, there was a question of whether or not he would be able to coach in the college football playoff for Ole Miss. Ole Miss’ administration did not want Kiffin to coach, even though Kiffin was fighting for the chance to. Instead, they made their defensive coordinator, Pete Golding, their full-time head coach. Kiffin told his staff that if they wanted a job at LSU with him, they had to get on one of the two planes LSU had sent, or there would be no job for them. One plane went back to Baton Rouge empty as most of the staff opted to stay with Golding and the Rebels and enjoy an increase in salary and a chance to win a national title. The fans have rallied behind Golding and his squad and are ready for the playoffs.