Lane Kiffin said Tuesday that Mississippi has not given him an ultimatum to make up his mind about his coaching future.
“Yeah, that’s absolutely not true,” Kiffin said from his office Tuesday during an appearance on the “Pat McAfee Show” on ESPN. “There’s been no ultimatum, anything like that at all. … We’re having a blast. I love it here. Our running back’s sitting right over here.”
Kiffin, who is in his sixth season coaching Ole Miss, has been a top candidate for other job openings in college football, with reports specifically linking him to both Florida and LSU. Florida fired Billy Napier on Oct. 19 after he went 22-23 in four seasons at Florida, and LSU fired Brian Kelly on Oct. 27 in the fourth year of a 10-year contract worth about $100 million.
Kiffin became the first coach in Ole Miss history to post three consecutive 10-win seasons with the Rebels’ 34-24 victory last weekend over Florida. Ole Miss fans chanted “We want Lane,” trying to persuade their sought-after coach not to bolt for another school. Kiffin sidestepped questions postgame about his future.
Kiffin has Ole Miss ranked fifth in the AP Top 25, with the Rebels 10-1 and off until the Egg Bowl against Mississippi State on Nov. 28.
“Our fans prayed for this type of thing, and now we’re in the middle of it,” Kiffin said of Ole Miss’ success. “So enjoy it.”
He currently is due $9 million this season, which is 10th highest in the country. Athletic director Keith Carter has repeatedly said Ole Miss will do whatever it takes financially to keep Kiffin in Oxford.
Kiffin said Carter, along with some of his coaches, were with him at his regular Tuesday morning yoga class.
Kiffin has led the Rebels to five straight bowl berths and a pair of New Year’s Six appearances. He is 116-53 in 13 seasons, with previous coaching stints at Florida Atlantic, Southern California and Tennessee.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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