In postgame presser after loss to Arkansas, Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin asked about his future with the Rebels
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — After Ole Miss lost 42-27 to Arkansas on a cold night in Fayetteville, head coach Lane Kiffin was asked, yet again, about his future with the Rebels — following a week of speculation that saw his name being bandied about in the head-coaching search at Auburn.
It’s no secret that Kiffin has been mentioned as the number one target of new Athletic Director John Cohen and the Tigers following the firing of Bryan Harsin.
But what is a huge secret is what Kiffin will do.
“I’m not getting into that,” Kiffin said when asked after the game about his coaching future.
Lane Kiffin has a received a new contract offer from Ole Miss that would make him one of the ten highest paid coaches in college football. It's now a waiting game to see if he will receive an offer from Auburn. More details this afternoon on @SportsTalkMiss starting at 3.
— Richard Cross (@RichardCrossSTM) November 17, 2022
“I never talk about that stuff. I’m very happy here. I’m not very happy right now. I really wanted to get to 9-2 and to 10-2 next week. That’s all I’m thinking about. I’m very happy to be here and very appreciative of leadership here and the stuff they do to give us a chance to win.”
Lane Kiffin when asked about his coaching plans
As SEC Network crew members Cole Cubelic and Jordan Rodgers talked on air, seemingly incessantly, about the chances the Rebels’ head coach might leave for the Plains — including which players he might take with him — the Razorbacks student section chanted “Auburn, Auburn,” over and over.
Yet after the game, Kiffin talked fondly about his feelings toward Oxford and his team.
“I love being here. I don’t want to look to next year already with a big game (coming up against State on Thanksgiving). This is not one of those years where you say you’re going to lose all these guys. There’s a lot of people coming back, a lot of new guys, offensively especially. So I’m very excited about the future. I don’t know about all that stuff.”
Earlier this week, reports suggested Ole Miss had offered Kiffin a new contract that would include a substantial raise.
Lane Kiffin has a received a new contract offer from Ole Miss that would make him one of the ten highest paid coaches in college football. It's now a waiting game to see if he will receive an offer from Auburn. More details this afternoon on @SportsTalkMiss starting at 3.
— Richard Cross (@RichardCrossSTM) November 17, 2022
Additionally, the Grove Collective has seen a big jump in both individual and corporate sponsors as Rebels have rushed to support Kiffin and the program.
Excited @Realtree is now a corporate partner of the @grovecollectnil! A lot of great work done by @walkerj29 and company here lately raising the bar for NIL @OleMissSports.
Let’s go!!! 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/T6LwFqPecJ
— Tyler Jordan (@TylerJordan) November 18, 2022
While Kiffin was somewhat somber for most of the postgame press conference, as one would expect following a loss, he did end with a bit of a joke as he smiled and said perhaps the folks at Auburn had seen the first half of the game “and I’m not No. 1 (on their list) anymore.”
Next Up:
The Rebels will now face a short week in preparation for the team’s regular season finale on Thanksgiving Day, when it hosts in-state rival Mississippi State (7-4, 3-4 SEC) for the annual Battle for the Golden Egg. Kickoff against the Bulldogs is set for 6 p.m. CT Thursday on ESPN.
(Feature image credit: Nelson Chenault-USA Today Sports)
Evelyn Van Pelt
Evelyn has covered sports for over two decades, beginning her journalism career as a sports writer for a newspaper in Austin, Texas. She attended Texas A&M and majored in English. Evelyn's love for Ole Miss began when her daughter Katie attended the university on a volleyball scholarship. Evelyn created the Rebel Walk in 2013 and has served as publisher and managing editor since its inception.
