Ole Miss ready to part ways with Lane Kiffin; popular NFL coach chosen as successor

The Lane Kiffin saga continues as the Ole Miss coach has not yet announced whether he'll stay on or head to LSU.

Published on: Nov 30, 2025, 08:01:06 IST

By Shuvrajit Das Biswas

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Lane Kiffin is yet to announce his decision of whether he will stay on at Ole Miss or head to LSU. The 50-year-old is slated to announce his decision Saturday, and is likely holding off till the end of the Tigers vs Oklahoma game before he makes his grand reveal.

Lane Kiffin of the Mississippi Rebels has not yet announced his future plans, amid buzz of a possible move. (Getty Images via AFP)

While Ole Miss Rebels fans are sure hopeful that Kiffin will stay on and lead them into the playoffs, the team has a replacement picked out already in case the legendary coach decides to depart.

Who will replace Lane Kiffin?

If Kiffin leaves Ole Miss, Joe Judge the former New York Giants coach will take on the mantle of interim manager in the College Football Playoff (CFP), ESPN reported, citing sources.

Judge was head coach for the Giants from 2020 to 2021 and during this tenure, he managed 10 wins and 23 losses, which is a 303 win percentage). In the 2020 season, he had 6 wins and 10 losses, while in 2021, he had 4 wins and 13 losses.

Also Read | Lane Kiffin net worth: How much LSU, Ole Miss salary add to his career earnings? Details out

Judge is a New England Patriots assistant and an acolyte of Bill Belichick who has worked with Ole Miss since 2024. He is currently the quarterbacks coach.

While Judge would likely be the interim coach, others could be in line for a more permanent position.

Tulane HC Jon Sumrall could be a good pick but is nearing a deal with Auburn. However, he's been a former Ole Miss assistant, so a swoop could be in the offing, as per Sports Illustrated. Another name that's been doing the rounds is that of Memphis HC Ryan Silverfield. He's got a good system for the Tigers and the belief is that with expanded resources at Ole Miss, he'll only do better.

Vanderbilt HC Clark Lea is yet another option, as per SI, but Ole Miss might have to show him they're willing to spend in the NIL era. Another name that could be considered is that of Georgia Tech HC Brent Key. He's been able to transform Georgia Tech into an ACC contender, and could be the key to Ole Miss Rebels' next success. Eli Drinkwitz, the Missouri HC, could be an option, but a tough one, given he's just signed a contract extension.

However, if Ole Miss loses Kiffin and are in the need of a brash, innovative and offensive mind, then Drinkwitz might just fit the bill, SI reported.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shuvrajit Das Biswas
Shuvrajit has over seven years of experience covering US, India, and world news. An English Literature postgraduate from Jadavpur University, Shuvrajit started off covering entertainment, gaming and all things pop culture. There were brief periods away from the media industry, with short stints in content marketing, ed-tech and academic editing. However, the newsroom beckoned and over the last few jobs, Shuvrajit has exceedingly focused on team functioning as well, including tracking news and assigning tasks, working on everyday breaking news, framing detailed coverage plans, and creating immersive and data-driven stories. In his time as a digital journalist, he has covered a Lok Sabha election, multiple state elections, Union Budgets and award ceremonies. He has also helped in planning content for company event panels in the past. For work, Shuvrajit enjoys dabbling with data visualization, editing tools, and AI chatbots and attempts to incorporate AI workflows in everyday tasks. He is deeply interested in geopolitics, sports, films and music. Prompting is a new fascination for Shuvrajit now. Apart from that, he can be found doom-scrolling, sharing memes, or cheering on his favorite football team.Read More

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