On Friday, Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin said he’d make a decision about his future on Saturday. As of Friday night, Kiffin was lining up his coaching staff at LSU.
On Saturday, no decision was announced, as Kiffin reportedly tried to fit a Bayou Bengal through the eye of a needle — allowing him to coach Mississippi through the College Football Playoff before officially leaving for LSU.
Now, ESPN.com reports that LSU is “expected” to hire Kiffin on Sunday. Per the report, the contract was not signed as of late Saturday night. However, ESPN.com adds that it “would be a shock” if Kiffin doesn’t scribble his signature on the document.
It’s expected to be a seven-year deal that pays Kiffin $12 million per year, with the potential for bonuses. (Given former LSU coach Brian Kelly’s recent experience on the way out, it would be wise for Kiffin’s agents and lawyers to include clear and unambiguous language regarding the “without cause” termination process.)
ESPN.com also reports that Kiffin will conduct a 10:00 a.m. meeting with his players. An announcement about his future will follow.
Saturday’s delay possibly traces to the possibility that Ole Miss could qualify for a berth in the SEC championship, with Kiffin sticking around for one more week. If Auburn had managed to upset Alabama on Saturday night, that would have happened.
The notion that Kiffin would stay for the looming Mississippi playoff run never made sense. He’ll have a new job to do, and LSU will want him getting to work ASAFP.
From Mississippi’s perspective, ESPN.com notes that the Rebels don’t want Kiffin to have further access to the program’s players, given that the next transfer portal opens on January 2. Also, any success Mississippi has in the playoffs could become (as ESPN.com put it) a “commercial” for LSU and Kiffin.
For those reasons, it’s imperative that the powers-that-be choke off the ability of programs to pursue coaches with other programs before their seasons have ended. These very real legitimate business considerations make it even more impractical for a program to keep its coach around one second after the coach has signed a contract to eventually jump to another school.
Once the coach is going to jump, his current team’s only option is to give him a two-handed shove and say, “Get out.”
The Lane Kiffin delay seems to trace to a desire to leave for LSU after finishing the season at Mississippi.
Via Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports, LSU believes Kiffin has accepted an offer worth more than $90 million to take over the Tigers program. However, Kiffin apparently wants to coach Ole Miss through the College Football Playoff.
Kiffin reportedly met for more than three hours on Saturday with Ole Miss A.D. Keith Carter and chancellor Glenn Boyce.
Dellenger adds that LSU plans to send two planes to Oxford on Sunday to bring Kiffin, his family, and others to Baton Rouge.
“If he doesn’t come, we’ve been duped,” an unnamed source with knowledge Kiffin’s negotiations with LSU told Dellenger.
On one hand, Kiffin should want to finish the job at Ole Miss. On the other hand, he should want to get to work at LSU. He’s apparently trying to thread the needle, holding off LSU while finishing the job at Ole Miss.
The question becomes whether LSU and Mississippi will go for it. LSU could tell Kiffin it’s now or never. Mississippi could say that, if he’s not staying, he should leave now.
The problem continues to be a system that allows coaches to be wooed before their current seasons have ended. Until the system changes, more messes like this one can happen.
Saturday is waning. Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin’s decision remains unknown.
After Mississippi beat Mississippi State in the annual Egg Bowl on Friday, Kiffin said he’ll make a decision about his future (Mississippi or LSU) on Saturday. More than 24 hours later, crickets.
As of last night, we heard Kiffin was lining up his staff in Baton Rouge. As of this posting, the crickets are still chirping.
Kiffin, who once upon a time coached the Raiders, has propelled Mississippi to the College Football Playoff. There has been plenty of talk from the talking heads about whether Kiffin, if he goes, should be permitted to finish the season with the Rebels. But why would he want to? Every minute spent working on his old job would be one fewer minute he’ll be able to spend on his next job.
It’s a defect of a reality that allows college programs to pursue coaches from other college programs before their seasons have ended. Those who are defending Kiffin need to keep that same energy when a player makes a business decision.
The current system allows this to happen. Which means the current system stinks. Until it changes, Kiffin has every right to consider taking the LSU job. But, please, don’t whine about the transfer portal or NIL payments when it comes to players.
After shooting their shot with Mississippi’s Lane Kiffin, the University of Florida shifted its focus to Louisiana.
Pete Thamel of ESPN.com reports that Tulane coach Jon Sumrall has “emerged as the clear favorite” for the Gainesville job.
Florida moved away from Kiffin this week, after getting the apparent impression he’ll either stay at Ole Miss or move to LSU.
Sumrall is expected to make a decision by Sunday morning. He’s 18-5 in two seasons at Tulane.
Kiffin’s decision is still pending. As of last night, he was lining up members of an LSU coaching staff.
Sumrall, 43, was a linebacker at Kentucky. He was the head coach at Troy before getting the Tulane job.
Mississippi coach Lane Kiffin has said he’ll make his decision on whether to stay put on Saturday. There’s a chance the decision has already been made.
We’re told that Kiffin is lining up his coaching staff at LSU. It’s the kind of tidbit that quickly can spread on the coaching-industry grapevine, as folks agree to join someone’s staff — and as they decline the opportunity to do so.
It’s no surprise. If Kiffin is seriously thinking about going, he’ll need to start getting people in place. And it gives him a chance to get a clean slate, leaving behind the folks from the Ole Miss staff that he either doesn’t want, or the ones who want to remain.
This isn’t a report that Kiffin is leaving. We’ll leave that one to whoever gets the spoon-fed scoop. But it’s true that, as of Friday night, Kiffin is putting the pieces in place in the event he makes the leap to LSU.
One way or the other, we’ll know what Kiffin is doing on Saturday. Unless he decides to take even more time to make the decision that he should have made by now.
And probably has.
