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Lane Kiffin 'flattered' by Ole Miss being 'proactive' for new deal, will not discuss job openings

11by: Jake Thompson8 hours agoJakeThompsonOn3
Syndication: The Clarion-Ledger
Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin reacts to an official during a college football game between Ole Miss and LSU at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Miss., on Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025.

Lane Kiffin is not talking about other job openings or his future standing as the Ole Miss head coach in-season. That is something he has never wavered on during his time in Oxford as he has been connected to other Power 4 job openings over the years.

But he did offer his thoughts on Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter’s comments last week about his desire to lock up the sixth-year head coach quickly, similar to Indiana’s deal with head coach Curt Cignetti last week.

“That’s awesome that (Carter) said those things, and I don’t take that for granted,” Kiffin said during his Sunday Zoom availability with local reporters. “Extremely appreciative of how everyone’s been here. Keith, the chancellor, everybody. So, (I’m) flattered that that would even be being discussed halfway through the season. But I don’t deal with that.

“We’ve got a lot to do, obviously, with a top-15 matchup and back-to-back road games. And, you guys have done this for years with me. So, I think it just speaks a lot to — that we’re mentioned (with) these other things a lot — to where our program’s come and our players and our coaches, and really take those things as compliment. So they’re here again, I guess, and we have to stay focused and worry about this season.”

Last Friday Carter told the Ole Miss Spirit’s Chuck Rounsaville that Ole Miss was being “proactive” in working out a new deal with Kiffin as more prominent jobs open up.

Sunday saw the latest, and most inevitable, opening with Florida firing Billy Napier midway through his fourth season in Gainesville. The Gators were coming off a 23-21 win over Mississippi State on Saturday and had gone 2-1 in SEC play in the last three weeks, including a win over Texas.

Kiffin has been connected to that job the past two seasons and reportedly the man Florida wants as Napier’s successor.

Now the task for Ole Miss is to avoid a repeat of 2022 when Auburn was heavily after Kiffin in-season.

After starting 8-1 the Rebels rattled off losses to Alabama, Arkansas and Mississippi State to close out at 8-4 before losing to Texas Tech in the Texas Bowl.

Kiffin ultimately stayed in Oxford, thanks to daughter Landry and a powerpoint, but the damage was done in the final fourth of the regular season with a lot at stake entering November.

Once again that challenge is here, but a little earlier this time around.

“We don’t really talk about it,” Kiffin said about learning from past coaching cycles. “I know that’s your guys’ job to bring it up and all that. We don’t really talk about it. Like, if we’re around there you wouldn’t know any different or anything. We just stay in the work, stay in the moments, stay in the day. And really, that stuff has nothing to do with what we’re doing. …I think it’s a compliment to the amount of games we’ve been able to win here.”

No. 8 Ole Miss and Kiffin are now preparing to play at No. 13 Oklahoma next Saturday at 11 a.m. CT on ABC. The Sooners are a 4.5-point favorite per BetMGM.

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