As Saturday turned to Sunday in the Eastern time zone, the uncertainty surrounding Lane Kiffin, his future at Ole Miss and the potential for him to bolt for LSU remained.
That appears likely to continue for a few more hours.
Kiffin will hold a team meeting with his players at 9 a.m., according to multiple reports, with an announcement about his future expected afterward.
ESPN reported earlier Saturday that it increasingly “appears obvious” that Kiffin will leave for LSU for a deal reportedly worth over $90 million.
One of the final sticking points, according to the outlet, revolved around what happened in the Iron Bowl between Alabama and Auburn.
An Alabama loss would have meant that Ole Miss earned a spot in the SEC championship.
That, then, would have complicated matters about whether Kiffin would be able to coach the Rebels in that game.
The Crimson Tide defeated the Tigers 27-20, ending Mississippi’s hopes for reaching the SEC title game.
Kiffin met with Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter and chancellor Glenn Boyce for more than three hours — if their meeting started at the reported time, according to Yahoo Sports — while the Tigers “believe they hold Kiffin’s commitment to be their next coach,” the outlet reported.
LSU’s vacancy opened when it fired Brian Kelly last month, leading to rumor after rumor about the potential to snag Kiffin from a conference rival.
When asked after Ole Miss’ win in the Egg Bowl on Friday if he had made a decision, Kiffin replied, “I have a lot of praying to do.” He planned to call Nick Saban and Pete Carroll.
The Saturday decision will now unfold Sunday instead.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
