Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin has a big decision to make in the next week.
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On Friday, Rebels athletic director Keith Carter announced the program plans to reveal Kiffin’s decision for 2026 on Nov. 29, one day after Ole Miss plays in the “Egg Bowl” against Mississippi State.
On Friday night, multiple reports suggested that the Rebels, Florida, and LSU are set to offer Kiffin similar compensation in terms of pay and NIL funding. Kiffin’s decision will have more to do with where he thinks a dynasty can be built than money.
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Former LSU head coach Nick Saban has reportedly been advising Kiffin about taking the coaching job with the Tigers.
During ESPN’s College GameDay broadcast on Saturday, Saban called for a change in college football, arguing that there needs to be a “business” approach to the calendar. He used the NFL as an example, where coaches cannot leave a team until they have completed the playoffs.
“This is not a Lane Kiffin conundrum,” Saban said. “This is a college football conundrum that we need some leadership to step up and change the rules on how this gets done.”
Saban thinks the current situation is unfair to players, as the College Football Playoff selection committee could drop Ole Miss in the rankings if Kiffin leaves after the regular season.
“Well, everybody should be thinking about the players,” Saban said. “Players should be able to play for his coach for the entire season. Players shouldn’t be penalized if a coach leaves, because the committee has the opportunity, if a player or coach doesn’t participate, they can sink you in the rankings.”
Saban’s comments received harsh criticism from many in the college football world.
“This is not a college football conundrum,” posted Tom Fornelli. “It’s Lane Kiffin’s conundrum, and the guy he shares an agent with wants you to know it’s not Lane’s fault. It’s your fault. I hope you’re happy you’ve done this to Lane. He might have to take $90 million from LSU!”
“It’s also a Lane Kiffin conundrum, Nick, and as the guy who had to fire him BEFORE THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME because he was so distracted, you should know better,” posted Dan Wolken.
“The multifaceted effort to make this sound like a thing that’s happening to Lane Kiffin, rather than a thing Lane Kiffin’s agent is engineering with his explicit approval, is pretty nauseating,” wrote Alex Kirshner.
“It’s time to seriously talk about the messaging apparatus Jimmy Sexton and CAA have created with Nick Saban, ESPN, and a perch of friendly reporters. This is getting disgusting,” argued Steven Godfrey.
The transfer portal and the coaching carousel need to change as the CFP expands. However, it’s hard to argue that Kiffin has helped create less of a distraction for his players as he trolls the media during his candidacy.
For more on the NCAA, head to Newsweek Sports.
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