Ole Miss finds itself in the middle of the coaching crisis, as Lane Kiffin’s most anticipated announcement reaches its final minutes. Ahead of the big-time decision, Kiffin stirred up tension within the program, sending a career ultimatum to their assistants.

As per the Mississippi insider, Russ Latino, Lane Kiffin has made his decision to leave the Rebels. Ahead of the big-time announcement, Kiffin had issued an ultimatum to the offensive coaches at Ole Miss to follow his footpath to his next home. According to the report, Lane Kiffin told the Ole Miss offensive coaches, “Come with me today, or there won’t be a spot for you.”

Latino argues that Lane Kiffin’s delayed coaching decision has turned out to be selfishly incidental to intentional. He claims that Kiffin is turning things tough for Ole Miss, potentially risking player departures before the playoff.

“He’s going to play victim along the way and his PR firm (ESPN) will help, but this guy is every bit the petulant brat he was 20 years ago. And no, this is not @KeithCarterOM ’s fault. Kiffin feels so damn entitled that he thought he could quit, sign on with our conference rival and then continuing dictating the operation of @OleMissFB for the next month plus.”

According to On3’s Chris Low report, sources told him that Lane Kiffin expressed his desire to coach for LSU the next season, at Saturday’s meeting. However, he still wanted to coach Ole Miss in the playoff. But sources told him that the Rebels denied his request, saying that they wouldn’t allow Kiffin to do it if he took another job.

LSU reportedly scheduled a press conference on Monday to officially introduce Lane Kiffin as the Tigers’ next head coach. In the meantime, he lined up the coaching staff to walk with him to Baton Rouge. If the assistants are set to leave with Kiffin, this could put Ole Miss in a serious threat, potentially sabotaging their national championship pursuit.

Lane Kiffin could cause a serious impact on Ole Miss

Lane Kiffin’s delayed decision is causing major uncertainty for Ole Miss. The Rebels, with a win over Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl on Friday, are having their first 11-win season in program history. They are on the track to host their first-round College Football Playoff game on Dec. 19 or Dec. 20. 

At this stage, as Kiffin looks solid to leave the program, not alone but with supporting staff, it raises big-time questions on who will coach the team in the postseason, leading to the national championship. The unexpected coaching change creates a complex layer to Ole Miss’s historic run. The timing is far from ideal for the Ole Miss program to regroup quickly to find its new coach and get them prepared for the Playoff.

Kiffin’s move could also affect Ole Miss locker room and recruitment drive, with the early signing day approaching. It could also leave locker room talents announce their entry to the portal, following the coach’s departure.