Pat McAfee wants Lane Kiffin to stay in Oxford.
With the rumors of his potential exit swirling around the Ole Miss head coach, McAfee pleaded with Kiffin to remain with the Rebels rather than jump to a big-name school like LSU or Florida.
“I would like to say if Lane Kiffin is listening … You’re allowed to be happy and content, brother,” McAfee said on ESPN’s “College GameDay” on Saturday. “You’re allowed to be at a place and have massive success. You’re allowed to build a place from scratch. You’re allowed to become a GOAT at a place. I think there’s a feeling amongst a lot of coaches, like ‘Hey, you got to get to this job, you got to get to this job.’”
Kiffin has been the head coach at Ole Miss since 2020, going 54-19 across six seasons.
The No. 6 Rebels are 10-1 this year and among the favorites to win the national championship.
But with several high-profile job openings, Kiffin is the hottest name on the market.
McAfee likened the situation to West Virginia’s Rich Rodriguez, his college coach, who left the Mountaineers for Michigan and got mixed results.
“RichRod went to Michigan,” McAfee said Saturday. “He’s back at West Virginia. If he would have never left, that guy probably has the entire university named after him.”
On Friday, Yahoo Sports reported that LSU officials have had discussions about offering Kiffin a contract in the seven-year, $90 million range, which would effectively tie him for the highest-paid coach in the NCAA.
That same day, Kiffin reportedly met with Ole Miss brass, but news on the coach’s next move isn’t expected until after the Nov. 28 Egg Bowl matchup with Mississippi State.
“Coach Kiffin and I have had may pointed and positive conversations regarding his future at Ole Miss, including meeting today with Chancellor Boyce,” vice chancellor for intercollegiate athletics Keith Carter said in a statement. “While we discuss next steps, we know we cannot lose sight of what is move important — our sixth-ranked team that is pointed to finish the regular season in historic fashion.
Earlier this week, Kiffin sounded off on the rumor mill during the weekly SEC teleconference call.
“I’m gonna stay on what I’ve done for six years, which isn’t talking about other jobs and that situation,” Kiffin said after being asked about his Mississippi future.
“Do you know something I don’t know?” Kiffin asked one reporter. “Do I expect to coach next week? Why would I not expect to coach next week? I mean, I expected to coach against Florida, too. So I don’t even understand the question of how I would not expect to coach next week? ‘Why would I be at work?’”
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
