Lane Kiffin gives peek at Thanksgiving as Ole Miss decision looms

Ole Miss football coach Lane Kiffin enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner with his family on Wednesday ahead of the No. 6-ranked Rebels’ Egg Bowl matchup with Mississippi State on Friday.

Kiffin — who’s been the talk of the college coaching carousel as a potential candidate for the LSU and Florida openings — shared a photo of his family at the dinner table on Wednesday.

Kiffin met with Ole Miss brass about his future last Friday, and a decision is expected after the Egg Bowl.

“Coach Kiffin and I have had many pointed and positive conversations regarding his future at Ole Miss, including meeting [Nov. 21] with Chancellor Boyce,” Keith Carter, vice chancellor for intercollegiate athletics, said in a statement Friday.

“While we discuss next steps, we know we cannot lose sight of what is most important — our sixth-ranked team that is pointed to finish the regular season in historic fashion.

“Despite the outside noise, Coach Kiffin is focused on preparing our team for the Egg Bowl, and together, we want to ensure that our player and coaches can concentrate fully on next’s Friday’s game. This team is on the cusp of an unprecedented season, and it’s imperative they feel the support of the Ole Miss family in the week ahead. An announcement on Coach Kiffin’s future is expected the Saturday following the game.”

The chatter circulating around Kiffin hasn’t been limited to the coach, as his family has been in the mix, too.

Daughter Landry, 20, attended the Bengal Belles luncheon, an LSU women’s booster club meeting, in Baton Rouge last Thursday, according to Nola.com.

She attended the luncheon with her boyfriend, LSU linebacker Whit Weeks, and his LSU linebacker brothers, West and Zach, along with their mother, Erin.

Weeks, one of the nation’s top linebackers, is in his third season with LSU.

All eyes have been on Kiffin after Florida fired Billy Napier in October, followed by LSU parting ways with Brian Kelly a week later.

The schools reportedly flew Kiffin’s family to Baton Rouge and Gainesville for visits last week, but the coach wasn’t on either trip.

LSU officials have had discussions about offering Kiffin a contract in the seven-year, $90 million range, according to Yahoo Sports.

Kiffin previously denied a report by The Athletic that Ole Miss gave him an ultimatum to decide on his future, and emphasized that his focus is on the 10-1 Rebels.

Ole Miss will likely lock in a spot in the College Football Playoff with a win over Mississippi State on Friday.

Kiffin has a 54-19 mark across six seasons with the Rebels, reaching a bowl in each of his first five years in Oxford.

He became the head coach at Ole Miss in December 2019 after he served as the offensive coordinator at Alabama under then-coach Nick Saban’s staff from 2014-16.