'I can get up here and give you the pine box speech': Lane Kiffin addresses Auburn rumors
This week is Egg Bowl week but even this legendary rivalry game between Ole Miss and Mississippi State is taking a back seat to Lane Kiffin
The only thing on the forefront of most people’s minds within the Ole Miss fan base is will Kiffin still be the head coach come Black Friday morning.
An absolute answer to that question is not coming in the next few days as Kiffin prepares his No. 20 Rebels for the annual Thanksgiving night showdown.
During his weekly Monday press conference, which was pushed back a few hours due to the holiday schedule — classes are out for the week so players get to sleep in, a little — Kiffin once again answered another question regarding the Auburn coaching search and his future.
This question was in the vein of if players within the Ole Miss locker room come up to Kiffin and ask about stuff they inevitably read, hear or see on their own time outside of the practice facility.
“They don’t. They know how we operate,” Kiffin said. “They’ve been through this before and so they don’t ask me because they know how we do things here and pro mindset of preparing every day to get better and win.
“I don’t know what else say. Extremely happy here. Like we just talked about, the difference in where this program is now compared to three years ago. I feel like we have support. I mean, I can get up here give you whatever it was, the pine box speech and say I’m not going to be the next head coach at Alabama. I can give you those things. So, I don’t know what any of those things mean.”
Kiffin doubled down on his sentiments from Saturday night following the Arkansas loss, that he is happy at Ole Miss.
Of course those are just words but it is not the first time Kiffin has alluded to enjoying his time in Oxford. Earlier this year he made quite the statement that he needed Ole Miss and Oxford in his life more than the city or school needed him.
On the flip side of coin it could also be just words, though no point in putting the psychology hat on to dissect every word until a decision is made one way or the other.
Reports came out last week that Ole Miss athletics director Keith Carter had put a new contract extension offer on Kiffin’s desk. On Saturday Kiffin declined to comment on it.
“I don’t know what else to say. I mean, been here three years and been fortunate enough to, I guess, now have three different contracts. I don’t know why all of a sudden a fourth contract all of a sudden makes people feel better.”
It is clear no resolution is going to come until either after Thursday’s game or later into the weekend after Auburn and Alabama wrap up the Iron Bowl on Saturday.
Nothing is coming from Kiffin nor the players, as has been the case all year. On Monday Jonathan Mingo firmly said that the third-year Ole Miss coach has not addressed his future with the players.
“No sir,” Mingo said. “No, we just focus on the game. …Everything else outside (noise). We don’t even discuss that. We just worried about Mississippi State this week.”
Watch Kiffin’s full press conference below. Video provided by Ole Miss Sports Production.
