GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida’s top target and Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin on Tuesday denied a report that he was given an ultimatum to make a decision on his coaching future with the Rebels.
Appearing on “The Pat McAfee Show” on ESPN, Kiffin said athletic director Keith Carter did not demand he decide where he’d be coaching in 2026 prior to the Nov. 28 game against Mississippi State.
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Florida and LSU are in hot pursuit of Kiffin, the ultimate prize in a competitive coaching carousel. Meanwhile, No. 7 Ole Miss (10-1) wants him to continue the Rebels’ historic push for a CFP berth and sign a contract extension.
“That’s absolutely not true. There’s been no ultimatum, anything like that at all,” Kiffin said. “And so, I don’t know where that came from, like a lot of stuff that comes out there.”
The Athletic reported Monday the demands made by Ole Miss decision-makers. The publication wrote Kiffin’s family was in Gainesville Sunday and Baton Rogue, La., on Monday.
ESPN reported Tuesday that Kiffin’s ex-wife, Layla, son, Knox, and his brother Chris Kiffin’s son visited Gainesville on Sunday. The news outlet reported Layla Kiffin, who lives in Oxford, visited Baton Rouge Monday with other family members.
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Kiffin said he’s focused on coaching the Rebels during the regular-season finale against rival Mississippi State, the so-called Egg Bowl played since 1901.
“We’re having a blast,” he said. “I love it here.”
The 50-year-old in his sixth season at Ole Miss is 54-19 in Oxford, but he has yet to reach the CFP. An Egg Bowl win would earn the Rebels a spot in the 12-team field and position them to host an opening round game Dec. 19 or 20.
A win at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium would advance Kiffin’s team to a quarterfinal game Dec. 31 or Jan. 1, complicating the hiring timetable for another school. The Rebels moved to 21-1 at home since the start of the 2023 season following Saturday’s 34-24 win against Florida.
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Reports have stated Ole Miss would not allow Kiffin to coach the Rebels if he planned to leave for another job.
After beating the Gators, his first win against UF in four tries, Kiffin declined to discuss his coach future.
“I love what we’re doing here,” he said. “Today was awesome. To even talk about it right now would be so disrespectful to our players and what they did today.”
The Gators targeted Kiffin in the wake of the Oct. 19 ouster of Billy Napier.
