Kiffin, Carter to meet Friday on Ole Miss future

By Matt Moscona

Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter are scheduled to meet Friday to discuss the coach’s future with the Rebels’ football program, multiple sources have confirmed to LouisianaSports.net.

The team will take the weekend off during its open date. The No. 6 Rebels travel to face Mississippi State next Friday in the Egg Bowl.

According to the sources, Carter is seeking clarity from Kiffin on his future coaching plans. The 50-year-old Kiffin has been linked to both the vacant Florida and LSU jobs. Carter is expected to present Kiffin with a comprehensive NIL plan for the program moving forward.

Ole Miss was one of the earliest and most active programs in the transfer portal and fundraising through The Grove Collective. The NCAA’s revenue sharing program went live July 1, disallowing collectives from paying student athletes directly. All NIL deals worth more than $600 must be approved by the NIL Go clearinghouse.

An exact timeline for Kiffin’s decision is unclear, but sources indicate Ole Miss would like an answer before the Rebels face Mississippi State next Friday.

There are two primary reasons for urgency. First, Kiffin’s decision will provide clarity for the College Football Playoff selection committee as they consider Ole Miss’s resume’. The committee is allowed to consider “unavailability of key players and coaches” when determining the field. Second, if Kiffin were to leave for another job, Ole Miss would need to begin its search for a new coach in earnest.

Meetings between the two men are fairly common as Kiffin noted Wednesday on the SEC coaches teleconference.

“Keith and I, I’ve seen him twice already today, Keith and I have a great relationship,” Kiffin said. “We communicate daily on a lot of things, and I love it here. It’s been amazing, and we’re in a season that the greatest run in the history of Ole Miss.”

Multiple reports confirm Kiffin’s ex-wife Layla Kiffin and son Knox toured Gainesville Sunday. Layla and Angela Kiffin made a similar trip to Baton Rouge Monday along with two of Angela Kiffin’s children. Angela is married to Chris Kiffin, Lane’s brother and analyst on the Ole Miss staff.

LSU and Florida fired Brian Kelly and Billy Napier, respectively, each in their fourth season at the school.