What Lane Kiffin said about Florida, Ole Miss fans feuding over where he coaches in 2026

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OXFORD — Ole Miss football coach Lane Kiffin said he doesn’t think Florida fans will cheer for him when the Rebels play the Gators in Week 12.

That it’s even a question is a testament to the wackiness of the Rebels’ upcoming game. No. 7 Ole Miss (9-1, 5-1 SEC) will host Florida (3-5, 2-5) on Nov. 15 (6 p.m., ESPN). It’s a matchup dripping with storylines.

The Gators fired coach Billy Napier on Oct. 19, and Kiffin has been linked to the opening since then. Getting Kiffin to leave Oxford will require persuasion, which could force some Gators’ fans who travel to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium to be on their best behavior.

“I don’t think (fans will cheer),” Kiffin said in a press conference on Nov. 9. “I think that people run pretty true to their schools when it comes to cheering in the game.”

Kiffin coached at Florida Atlantic from 2017-19 before taking over at Ole Miss, and has been open about his reverence for former Florida coach Steven Spurrier. It’s why Kiffin wears a visor on the sidelines.

Lane Kiffin on social media battle between Ole Miss, Florida fans

If social media is the frontlines of the battle between the two fan bases, Kiffin is exposed in a way many other coaches aren’t. Kiffin is frequently online, and sometimes offers a cryptic post.

Kiffin said he was briefed on the budding rivalry between Ole Miss fans and Florida fans who both want Kiffin at the helm of their program in 2026.

“I don’t read all the stuff,” Kiffin said. “Somebody was just saying that today, one of our student assistants explained to me, the fans are going back and forth. And they said, ‘I think there’s a new rivalry, Ole Miss fans and Florida fans, and they should just put a steel cage somewhere and let them fight it out.'”

Kiffin ran with the steel cage joke.

“Maybe, halftime of the game,” Kiffin said.

What has Lane Kiffin said about Florida, LSU openings?

Kiffin has also been connected to the LSU opening since Brian Kelly was fired Oct. 26.

Kiffin has not addressed either opening publicly other than to say the reports are a credit to the players, coaches and the success of the program.

Kiffin has not been acting like a coach who might leave. 

Former Ole Miss pole vaulter Drew O’Connor proposed to his girlfriend, Madison Barnette, during a timeout in The Citadel game in Week 11. Kiffin trotted over to the couple as they were featured on the video screen at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium and joined in a hug.

Near the end of Ole Miss‘ 30-14 win over South Carolina in Week 10, Kiffin participated in the celebration of a game-sealing interception by throwing a football into the student section.

What Lane Kiffin said to Ole Miss players about Florida rumors

“I just told them, ‘Hey, this happens every year here. So this isn’t new, but a lot of you guys are new,’ ” Kiffin said Oct. 26. “So all it is a credit to the program and the coaches and players for doing well and having the success we have . . .

“It goes Georgia, Alabama, then us. So, that’s pretty cool. Especially when you throw Texas and Oklahoma in there. So that’s all that’s a product of and it shouldn’t be a distraction.”

What is Lane Kiffin’s salary and why did his contract get extended?

Kiffin’s win against Oklahoma in Week 9 triggered an automatic contract extension.

Because it was Ole Miss‘ seventh regular season win, Kiffin’s state contract with the Ole Miss Athletic Foundation will be automatically extended one year on Jan. 1, 2026. Kiffin’s contract now runs through Dec. 31, 2031.

The added year will be worth $9 million with $7.2 million guaranteed.

Kiffin’s $9 million salary is tied for No. 6 in the SEC.

What Lane Kiffin said about his name coming up in Florida coaching search

On Oct. 19, Kiffin was asked about the Florida opening, and Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter’s recent comments about wanting to extend Kiffin’s contact.

“I don’t comment on these other jobs or these ongoing things in-season,” Kiffin said. “That’s awesome that Keith said those things and I don’t take that for granted. I’m extremely appreciative of how everyone has been here. The chancellor (Glenn Boyce), everybody. I’m flattered that that would even be discussed halfway through the season, but I don’t deal with that.”

Lane Kiffin buyout

As of Dec. 1, 2025, if Ole Miss fires Kiffin without cause, he would be set to receive $36.6 million.

It is the No. 15 most expensive buyout out of the 105 USA TODAY could review and No. 7 in the SEC.

Sam Hutchens covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at Shutchens@gannett.com or reach him on X at @Sam_Hutchens_

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Lane Kiffin on Florida, Ole Miss fans feud over where he coaches

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