Ole Miss is on the brink of making their first ever trip to the College Football Playoff, but the focus surrounding the program is about the future of head coach Lane Kiffin, not the team’s success.
With numerous programs firing their head coaches midseason, Kiffin has emerged as the hottest candidate available for the LSU and Florida vacancies. Unlike a number of coaches across the country that have signed extensions or restated their commitment to their current program, Kiffin has not shed any light on if he will be staying or leaving Ole Miss.
Heading into their final regular season matchup against Mississippi State, the program shared that an announcement on Kiffin’s future is expected the Saturday after the game. Ole Miss players are not only faced with trying to get a win to secure their spot in the CFP, but uncertainty regarding whether or not their coach will stay with the program through the CFP and if his potential departure could cost them a home playoff game.
Nick Saban, who coached over the current Ole Miss coach when Kiffin was an assistant at Alabama from 2014-16, expressed during an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show how he thinks Kiffin should handle these distractions as the team prepares for this week’s game.
“I think you have to be upfront and honest with your team about things like this. Anytime we had a disruption or a distraction, I brought it up to the team and I challenged them to handle it in a mature way,” Saban told McAfee. “... How you handle distractions like this determines the maturity of your team and their ability to stay focused on the things that matter. What people are saying on the internet, doesn’t really mean anything.”
"I think you have to be up front & honest with your team..
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) November 26, 2025
Whenever we had a disruption or a distraction I would bring it up to the team..
Can you stay focused on the things that matter..
It isn't easy to control outside noise but that's the way that I did it" ~ Coach Saban… pic.twitter.com/pVc7RqhiPV
Saban continued, “Stay focused on the things that matter, which is how you play. You want to play in the NFL some day, you want to get drafted, you want to make more money next year as a college player, go play good. That’s what you need to do, that’s what you need to focus on. Not where your coach is gonna go, not what people are saying, and nobody knows the answer to it. It isn’t an easy thing to control outside noise, but that’s the way I always try to do it.”
ESPN reported earlier this season that though Kiffin would not typically address these other coaching opportunities midseason with his players, he planned to do so this time to express that this is what happens when their team wins.
As Kiffin mulls this decision, Saban also reiterated his belief that college football must change their calendar to not allow programs to speak to coaches during the regular season and prioritize what’s best for student athletes.
“I’ve been in a few situations like this,” Saban told McAfee. “… I think everybody has to manage their situation relative to where their heart is and what they feel. In Lane’s situation, every coach wants to coach their team. It is really, really hard to up and leave your team. The calendar should be set up so every coach can finish the season with his team. It’s good for the players and it’s good for the team.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Nick Saban Had Wise Advice for Lane Kiffin Amid Drama Surrounding Coaching Future.
