Lane Kiffin is set to finally make a decision on his future on Saturday, after leading Mississippi to its 11th win of the year in a strong Egg Bowl performance. After eliminating Florida as an option, Kiffin must decide whether to stay at Ole Miss and potentially coach for an SEC championship and in the College Football Playoff, or to take one of the sport’s best jobs: LSU. But first, yoga.
“Lane told me this morning, ‘I’m going to 8 a.m. yoga with my family, it’s non-negotiable,’” ESPN’s Marty Smith said during Saturday’s edition of College GameDay. That yoga session sets the stage for one of the biggest days of his coaching career. He won’t jump right into discussions with Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter, however.
The Rebels will make the SEC championship game if Alabama falls to Auburn in the Iron Bowl on Saturday night, a trip that Georgia has already clinched thanks to Texas A&M’s loss to Texas on Friday night. Kiffin intends to do some prep work for a potential Georgia matchup before going into his meeting with Carter.
“After yoga, he’s coming here to the facility with his staff to start game-planning for the Georgia Bulldogs in case Alabama loses tonight and the Rebels suddenly find themselves in Atlanta next weekend for the opportunity to play for a conference championship,” Smith reported. “So, does that thereby delay the meeting with Keith Carter, the athletics director here, in the opportunity to determine where his future will be? Kiffin told me that meeting is this afternoon, but there’s much he wants to do before then.”
After the Egg Bowl, Kiffin said he intended to call two of his former bosses and mentors to pick their brains about the decision: former Alabama coach Nick Saban and former USC coach Pete Carroll.
“Coach Saban, keep your phone on,” Smith said. “Kiffin told me he wants to have in-depth conversations both with Coach Saban regarding the positives and negatives of both of these jobs, as well as Pete Carroll, who he got a text from last night that said, ‘Call me any time, Lane. I promised your father I would always take care of you.’”
Monte Kiffin was a legendary defensive coach who served on his son’s staffs at Tennessee, USC, FAU and Ole Miss. He died last summer.
Lane Kiffin told Smith that the monetary considerations come down to how much he can allot to his roster, rather than his own compensation, though whether he goes to Baton Rouge or stays in Oxford, Miss., his deal is expected to be among the largest in all of college football when it’s signed.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Lane Kiffin’s Full Reported Schedule for Saturday, As Decision on Ole Miss, LSU Looms.
