Will Lane Kiffin Coach in the NFL or Stay in College?

• Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin has led the team to a 10-1 record and a #5 ranking.
• Kiffin denies he has been given an ultimatum by Ole Miss to decide about his future.
• Kiffin is the favorite to be the next New York Giants’ coach, but will he stay in college?

Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin is a wanted man, but he denies he has been given an ultimatum by the school to decide his future.

Kiffin is favored to be the next New York Giants’ coach, but will he return to the NFL or stay in college?

Kiffin Denies Ole Miss Ultimatum

Kiffin has denied that Ole Miss gave him an ultimatum to decide on his future.

It was reported on Monday that the school wanted Kiffin to decide whether he was going to stay at Ole Miss, or move on to another job. They allegedly gave the 50-year-old Kiffin until the Egg Bowl, which is the annual rivalry game between Ole Miss and Mississippi State. That game will be played on November 28.

Kiffin is one of the hottest coaches in college football, as he has guided the Rebels to a 10-1 record and a #5 spot in the AP rankings. This puts Ole Miss in prime position to earn a spot in the playoffs, and the Rebels are just outside the top tier of the college football championship odds.

This is Kiffin’s sixth season at Ole Miss, and he has put up his fourth season of ten wins or more. That is no small feat in the SEC, arguably the toughest conference in the country. But that also means that there are many teams that would love to have Kiffin, and there are many open jobs, especially in college football.

LSU and Florida are the two top names, and it is reported that LSU is ready to make Kiffin the highest-paid coach in college football. That designation is currently held by Georgia’s Kirby Smart, who is making $13.2 million.  

But what will Kiffin do?

Where will Lane Kiffin Coach in 2026?

BetUS is favoring Kiffin to be the next head coach of the New York Giants, who fired Brian Daboll on November 10 after three-plus seasons. The online sportsbook has Kiffin at +300 to take over the Giants, well ahead of Kliff Kingsbury, Jesse Minter, and Klint Kubiak at +800.

Kiffin didn’t have a good time in his first NFL stint. He was 5-15 in 2007 and 2008 with the then-Oakland Raiders before he was dismissed. He is known as one of the best offensive minds in the game, but Kiffin found out that the NFL is much different from college.

Therefore, it’s probably easier to see Kiffin staying in the college ranks. Staying in the SEC would be the best bet, as Kiffin was a head coach at Tennessee in 2009, and he was the offensive coordinator at Alabama from 2014-2016. He knows the area for recruiting, and has adapted his practices in the NIL era.

Keep an eye on Kiffin over the next few weeks, as LSU and Florida will need an answer, so they can pivot to another option. Ole Miss could also offer Kiffin a raise on his $9 million per year salary. But Kiffin will be a massive target for both NFL and NCAA football teams!