Does Ole Miss have CFP backup plan for expected Kiffin departure?

Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin. Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Does Ole Miss already have CFP backup plan for expected Lane Kiffin departure?

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Nov 30, 2025 2:16 PM ET

Who will be coaching the Ole Miss Rebels in the College Football Playoff?

Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin is expected to take the LSU Tigers job. On Sunday, Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger reported that the coach has told Ole Miss administrators he's flocking to Baton Rouge. Dellenger added that the Tigers' original contract proposal was a seven-year deal worth more than $90M.

Kiffin's departure comes at an inconvenient time for the Rebels, who should be a CFP lock. No. 7 Ole Miss finished the regular season with an 11-1 record following a 38-19 win over the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the Egg Bowl.

Despite his planned exit, Kiffin reportedly wants to coach in the CFP, but it doesn't appear Ole Miss will let him. Per On3's Chris Low, Ole Miss defensive coordinator Pete Golding is expected to remain with the school and serve as interim HC for the CFP and have a chance to land the full-time gig.

Defensive coordinator Pete Golding is expected to remain at Ole Miss and will coach the Rebels in the playoff. Golding could also be a candidate to replace Kiffin as Ole Miss’ head coach. https://t.co/usE2a98bTc
— Chris Low (@clowfb) November 30, 2025

How coaching chaos impacts Ole Miss' CFP hopes

Kiffin coaching in the CFP while he's leaving for another school would be awkward for Ole Miss. However, it would give the Rebels a better chance of making a deep run.

Golding has no head-coaching experience. To make matters worse for the coach, he'll likely be without most of the staff that helped build Ole Miss' high-powered offense, which is tied for 13th in the FBS in points scored (36.2).

Low added that Kiffin has convinced most of his offensive assistants to join him at LSU. He told them that if they didn't leave on Sunday, they wouldn't have a spot on his staff in Baton Rouge.

Players who want to follow Kiffin to LSU may also have to make tough decisions. The transfer portal window runs from Jan. 2-16 during the middle of the CFP, which starts on Dec. 19. (Players who are competing in the national championship receive a five-day extension, scheduled for Jan. 20-24.) When a player transfers, he can no longer play for his team in the postseason tournament.

Ole Miss may already have Golding prepared to coach in the CFP, but that doesn't mean the Rebels are ready to make a national championship run. Clearly, the program is in a state of flux, which threatens its title aspirations.

Clark Dalton

Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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