By Reice ShipleyShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberOle Miss head coach Lane Kiffin is expected to make his decision on his future at the program following the team's Week 14 Egg Bowl rivalry game on Friday night against Mississippi State. Prior to this decision being made, Kiffin received a blunt warning about potentially leaving the Ole Miss program from someone who has been in his shoes before.
College football coaching legend Urban Meyer is no stranger to being involved in a highly discussed coaching search in his own right. Meyer famously left his job with the Utah Utes after an undefeated season in 2004 in favor of the Florida Gators coaching job.
Meyer's decision ended up paying off in a major way. He would go on to win two National Championships with Florida and cement his legacy as one of the best college football coaches of all time.
Despite his ties to the Gators program, a coaching job that Kiffin is considering along with the LSU Tigers, Meyer cautioned Kiffin against leaving Ole Miss for any vacancy. Especially considering how the Rebels seem to have a very legitimate chance of winning a National Championship this season.
...More news: SEC Head Coach Sends Strong Message After Job Speculation
"I texted with Lane, I've talked to him, we have actually become friends," said Meyer during an appearance on FS1's "The Herd". "I'm proud of the way he has gotten everything in order. He has always been a hell of an offensive coach. Now, he has become a hell of a head coach. I had a similar situation. I was at the University of Utah, we went undefeated, first small school to break the BCS. And I left and I went to Florida. That ripped your heart out. I went back, coached the last game in the Fiesta Bowl we won.
"This is unchartered waters though. To leave a team that could potentially... You tell me a team other than Ohio State, I mean, Ole Miss is right there. That might haunt Lane the rest of his (life). Just personally, how do you walk in that meeting and say, ‘Hey guys, I’m not only leaving, I’m gonna be playing you next year?’ I don’t know. At this point in his life, money can't be the deciding factor. There is no chance he would leave for a couple more million bucks. There has got to be some other reason if he does leave."
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Regardless of the true reason why Kiffin seems to be pondering an exit from Ole Miss, it sure seems like both Florida and LSU remain squarely in the sweepstakes to land him.
Notably, Meyer is not the only one to caution Kiffin against departing from his position with the Rebels. The likes of Kirk Herbstreit, Paul Finebaum, and Joel Klatt have all warned him against leaving Ole Miss.
Only time will tell whether Kiffin opts to listen to the advice given to him or test the waters at either of the premier openings in the SEC. Either way, his decision is set to have major ramifications on head coaching searches across not only the SEC but the entire country.
For more college football news, head to Newsweek Sports.
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