Will Lane Kiffin Leave Ole Miss? Latest Rumors Amid Florida, LSU HC Openings

With multiple high-profile head coach openings around college football, many are wondering if Lane Kiffin is committed to staying at Ole Miss.

CBS Sports' Chris Hummer, John Talty and Matt Zenitz reported that while openings like Florida or LSU could be attractive enough for Kiffin to leave the Rebels, there are still contrasting theories about his future with the program.

"The tenor has shifted in recent weeks," the report stated. "There's considerably less confidence now that Kiffin will stay in Oxford as several sources CBS Sports talked to believe it is more likely he'll leave. Meanwhile, others in the last 24 hours have expressed optimism he'll stay. Frankly, Kiffin is someone whose mind can change from day to day."

Ole Miss won't wait long for Kiffin to make a decision, however. The school has given the coach an ultimatum to decide his future before the Nov. 28 matchup against rival Mississippi State, per Stewart Mandel of The Athletic.

Wilson Alexander of NOLA.com reported that Kiffin "remains a top target and is the current focus of LSU's coaching search," and school officials "arranged for a plane to pick up several of Kiffin's family members Monday in Oxford, Mississippi, sources said, and they flew to Baton Rouge to tour the city."

Ole Miss moved up to No. 5 in the AP Top 25 following Saturday's 34-24 comeback win over Florida, which improved the team's record to 10-1. Kiffin affirmed his love for his current job after the victory.

"I love what we're doing here," Kiffin said postgame when asked about his future at Ole Miss, per ESPN's Andrea Adelson. "Today was awesome. To even talk about it right now would be so disrespectful to our players and how well they played today. We've got a lot of things going here. Doing really well, and I love it here."

Ole Miss Beats Florida

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Still, the report from Hummer, Talty and Zenitz pointed out, "It's not lost on anyone in college football that Ole Miss just played Florida, a place where Kiffin could be employed next year. The Gators have Kiffin as a top target. So does LSU."

Kiffin has full control of the Ole Miss football program, but it's not clear if the administrations at other schools would allow him to operate with the same autonomy. He could choose to stick with the Rebels to continue building upon the success of this season.

Until Kiffin makes an official decision, his name will surely be at the top of the list of candidates for big-name programs in need of a new head coach.