Jan 2, 2025; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin looks on against the Duke Blue Devils in the fourth quarter during the Gator Bowl at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Top 25 College Football Head Coaches: Where Does Ole Miss' Lane Kiffin Rank in 2025?

Originally posted on Ole Miss Rebels on SI
By John Macon | Last updated Feb 3, 2025 4:21 PM ET

The Ole Miss Rebels fell short of their ultimate goal of reaching the College Football Playoff in the 2024 season, but how does that affect the national view of the program's head coach?

Recently, 247Sports released an updated list of the top 25 college football head coaches entering the 2025 season, and Ole Miss' Lane Kiffin made the cut, although his ranking is lower than it was at this time a season ago. Kiffin came in at No. 11, down two spots from the No. 9 ranking he held at the end of 2023.

You can view an excerpt of the reasoning for the ranking change below.

"Failure to launch is the phrase that comes to mind for the Rebels, who produced another double digit-win season under Kiffin and came up short in their quest to appear in the expanded playoff. Blame the losses to Kentucky and Florida for that despite the most-talented roster in program history." -- 247Sports' Brad Crawford

In total, nine SEC head coaches made this top 25 list, and you can view their spot in the pecking order below.

22. Shane Beamer -- South Carolina Gamecocks

18. Mike Elko -- Texas A&M Aggies

17. Eli Drinkwitz -- Missouri Tigers

13. Josh Heupel -- Tennessee Volunteers

11. Lane Kiffin -- Ole Miss Rebels

10. Brian Kelly -- LSU Tigers

7. Kalen DeBoer -- Alabama Crimson Tide

4. Steve Sarkisian -- Texas Longhorns

1. Kirby Smart -- Georgia Bulldogs

According to this list, Kiffin is just outside the top 10 nationally and is ranked as the fifth-best head coach in the Southeastern Conference. Kiffin also comes behind names like Clemson's Dabo Swinney (No. 6), Indiana's Curt Cignetti (No. 8) and Penn State's James Franklin (No. 9).

Of course, this is a subjective list, and other analysts around the country would likely have a few differences of opinion, but it's obvious that the Rebels missing out on the College Football Playoff in 2024 affected Kiffin's standing in this set of rankings, and in order to prove himself as one of the game's best in his field, he will need to reach that pinnacle during his time in Oxford.

Ole Miss will open its 2025 season at home against Georgia State on Aug. 30.