ESPN's Marty Smith reveals text to Lane Kiffin asking for Saturday resolution went unanswered

ESPN has had veteran reporter Marty Smith camped out at the Ole Miss athletics facilities, hoping to get the latest on the plans of coach Lane Kiffin. So far there hasn’t been much in the way of a meaningful update.

So, at the behest of an ESPN co-worker, Smith decided to get a bit more aggressive in pushing for answers. He texted Lane Kiffin directly.

“Have you texted him yet to say, ‘Please do something I’ve got to get home,'” anchor Dari Nowkah asked on the air. “Have you tried that one yet?”

A haggard Smith fumbled around with his phone, seemingly flipping through it as he prepared his response. He answered, while still doing so.

“Umm, let me see here. Hold on. Hold on. Hold on. Hold on,” Smith said. “I wrote him at 8:46 CT time and said, ‘Will there be a resolution tonight? Please God in heaven tell me yes.'”

.@MartySmithESPN texted Lane Kiffin: “Will there be a resolution tonight? Please God in Heaven tell me yes.”

Kiffin did not respond 😂 pic.twitter.com/nyIVDPcao0

— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) November 30, 2025

Lane Kiffin, of course, met with Ole Miss athletics director Keith Carter on Saturday evening. Meanwhile, there were reports that LSU was ramping up its pursuit of the coveted head coach.

The Tigers planned to bring two planes to Oxford on Sunday for Kiffin, his family and his entourage, according to Yahoo! Sports’ Ross Dellenger. Of course, many were hoping there would be a resolution before then. Thus Nowkah’s prodding.

“You’ve tried, man,” Nowkah said. “Great job by you, Marty.”

That’s when Smith revealed that he hadn’t quite gotten the desired result from Lane Kiffin. The text did not work.

“And he did not write me back on that one,” Smith said. Alas.

With that, the Lane Kiffin saga enters Sunday. Ole Miss learned late Saturday night that it will not play in the SEC Championship Game thanks to Alabama‘s victory over Auburn in the Iron Bowl. So the next business for the Rebels is the College Football Playoff.

That brings things full circle. To the final reported sticking point.

“I’m told if he wanted to stay he would have already said so,” Smith reported earlier in the evening. “One sticking point still being considered, I’m told: If he did leave, whether or not he’ll coach the Ole Miss Rebels in the College Football Playoff.”