Never change, Lane. Never change. The Lane Kiffin coaching saga seems to have taken another turn. Earlier in the week, Scott Roussel and John Brice of Football Scoop reported of an intriguing financial offer to get Kiffin to switch SEC lanes and come on over to LSU. Their reporting suggests that the powers at be at LSU are willing to give Kiffin top-of-the-market money to come. Georgia money, folks!
Kirby Smart is the highest paid head coach in the profession, with Ryan Day at Ohio State and Curt Cignetti at Indiana in the same neighborhood as him. Kiffin is going to be joining those elite coaches in the same coaching neighborhood in a matter of weeks, but will it be at LSU, Florida, or staying with Ole Miss? The guys at Football Scoop are not sure what he will do, only that he will be offered soon.
The new powers at be at LSU are new athletic director Verge Ausberry, new university president Wade Rousse and the Governor of Louisiana himself in one Jeff Landry. It just means more in the SEC, does it not? It should be noted that Kiffin may not want the smoke and fire that comes from switching sides in a heated SEC rivalry. At Ole Miss, he can contend for the College Football Playoff.
The big question now is if Kiffin should stay or should he go now? The clash has all of our attention.
Should Lane Kiffin leave Ole Miss for more money to come coach at LSU?
Let's make one thing clear. Kiffin continuing to put out cryptic social media posts are all part of a much bigger plan. He is who he is, and he loves dropping these sort of breadcrumbs for us college football nuts to fawn over. Keep in mind who he is represented by... That would be mega-coaching agent Jimmy Sexton. He is clearly pitting two or three teams against each other to maybe land Kiffin.
Overall, it comes down to one thing and one thing only for Kiffin. What does he actually want? He probably wants more money and greater resources. Will Ole Miss be able to provide him that? Keith Carter may have to move heaven and earth to keep him in Oxford, but what other option does he have? Kiffin and Sexton have leverage, as illustrated by the LSU and Florida vacancies for starters.
In the end, Kiffin is not going to leave Ole Miss in the midst of a playoff run. The Rebels are effectively a lock to make it in. They are 10-1 on the season and ranked No. 6 in the latest playoff rankings. All they need to do is beat arch rival Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl in two weeks to punch their ticket in. Now is not the time to leave Ole Miss. He could leave after the season is done, but not right now...
LSU is a slightly better job than Ole Miss is presently, but both are certainly better than Florida's is.