Joel Klatt warns Lane Kiffin against leaving Ole Miss, losing all credibility during CFP run

With less than a week left in the regular season, Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin‘s future remains in limbo. On Monday, FOX Sports’ Joel Klatt warned Kiffin against leaving Ole Miss for what may appear to be greener pastures.

“Your credibility is your currency as a coach. How does Lane Kiffin leave Ole Miss in the middle of a playoff run and have any credibility at his next place? I don’t think that he would,” Klatt said. “So, we can sit here and lament the calendar and realize that, like, ‘Hey, man, this is not a great position for Lane to be in.’ I totally agree with that, but it’s also still up to him.

“If you say yes to everything, how can you be committed to anything? I don’t think he has to go anywhere to find success. This is not like it used to be. You see, it used to be like LSU would come open, and you’re like, I got to go there if I want to win at the top end. But guess what? The proof that you don’t have to is Lane at Ole Miss. He is the proof that you don’t have to do that. He is winning at the top end at Ole Miss.”

Florida and LSU are each interested in hiring Kiffin as their next head coach. At the beginning of last week, Kiffin’s family toured Gainesville, Florida, and Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Kiffin is under unusual time constraints in his situation. Assuming Ole Miss wins the Egg Bowl on Friday, the Rebels will make their first-ever appearance in the College Football Playoff.

However, it’s unclear if Ole Miss will allow Kiffin to coach in the CFP if he won’t be at the school next season. Joel Klatt believes Kiffin would be doing his players a disservice by accepting another job before the CFP.

“In the modern era of college football, the fit is more important than the logo on your hat because you can win if you’ve got the support, which they do at Ole Miss. This is not a money thing,” Klatt said. “Is the grass really that greener? I don’t know. And listen, I’m not going to sit here and say like he can’t do it or this or that. I’m trying to stop as close as I can to that.

“But, I am concerned for what that would mean for college football, because this would be like a car accident of epic proportions. If he were to leave and then not coach the CFP, he is destroying the Ole Miss football team. Those kids committed to him as much as they committed to Ole Miss. Then, they committed to each other to achieve something great. … Your credibility as a coach is everything, and your credibility is tied to your character. And, the biggest threat to your credibility in life—all of us—is ourselves.”